


I Wheelie Like You

by i_love_tofu_so_much



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:06:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 87,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23350657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_love_tofu_so_much/pseuds/i_love_tofu_so_much
Summary: The story of a broken bike, a yoga instructor, and a soft eyed mechanic.
Relationships: Tobin Heath/Christen Press
Comments: 455
Kudos: 852





	1. Helping Heath's

**Author's Note:**

> i asked myself "is ur first fic really gonna be about bikes, something you know absolutely nothing about?". The answer is yes, and so here we are. haha, so ya, this is my first ever fic and this idea's been swimmin in my noggin for a lil so i though id have a go at it. 
> 
> inspired by the oh so calming Gee Milner dream build videos. luv that shit even though i have no idea whats happening.
> 
> (also ur welcome for the title, really made myself chuckle w that one)

With a bloody knee, a scraped up hand, and a bent wheel, Christen sits on the curb, trying to not let the tears escape. 

It wasn’t the minor injuries that had her lip trembling, but simply the gloomy mental state she’d found herself in (something she thought a nice bike ride would fix). 

After agreeing to help open a new yoga studio with her friend Julie and moving to Chicago, Christen was initially eager for this new adventure. She loved the idea of starting from scratch and building the business up into something special. What she didn’t love (and grossly underestimated), was the time and effort needed to open a new studio. 

From almost day one, Christen has been swimming in legal documents, business plans, and to-do lists. Even though her hard-working, Stanford level education definitely helped drive her to get things done on an efficient schedule, she found herself having no time or energy to take a break.

Now, stuck on some curb, at some street, in the middle of a town she's barely had the time to explore yet, she sat and waited for the pent up emotions in her to subside. Not only was she mentally exhausted, but her beloved teal-colored cruiser -- a treasure she’d kept through high school, college, and beyond -- is now scraped up, the front tire completely bent to a 90 degree angle. 

_Breath in, breath out_ she silently repeats. 

Thanks to her breathing techniques, she’s able to reach a fairly relaxed mindset quickly.

The slight stinging of her knee reminds her to get a move on. She stands from the curb and decides to try and find her way back to her apartment. After aimlessly looking around in hopes of identifying any recognizable buildings or landmarks, Christen gives up and swiftly pulls up Google Maps on her phone. She types in her apartment address and, while the app is open, searches for a bike shop, eyeing her now jumbled piece of aluminium that is draped on the road. 

Christen softly chuckles when the curiously named “Helping Heath’s Bicycle Shop” pops up, conveniently in the direction of her apartment. 

She pockets her phone and tries to maneuver her bike to an upright position, wondering how she was going to wheel it to the bike store. Luckily, the store isn’t more than a half mile away so Christen starts her slow journey towards the direction of her apartment. 

_I suppose this is a way to get to know the city_

~~~

After a slightly awkward stroll through the streets of Chicago (having to basically carry the front half of her bike), Christen finds herself at the door of “Helping Heath’s Bicycle Shop”, a cozy but tech-filled establishment.

_Well, let’s see what “Helping Heath” can do_

The bell at the door dings as Christen struggles to get herself and her bike through the relatively narrow door. Trying not to knock over the rows of neatly placed (and expensive looking) bikes near the window, she quickly composes herself and strides up to the counter with as much confidence as she can muster. 

A blonde woman with tattoos decorating almost every square inch of her arms sits typing on a computer. 

“Excuse me?” Christen starts out.

The woman looks up and smiles, gently standing up from her seat.

“Hey! How’s it going?” she asks.

“Well, not great” Christen gives a tight-lipped smile as she looks down at her cruiser, knowing she won’t have to give too much of an explanation as the bike speaks for itself. The woman’s attention is drawn to the bike, her face changing to a mixture of pity and slight humor, but no judgement. 

“I see…” she chuckles as she walks around from behind the counter, inspecting the bike more closely. “Well the wheel is obviously an issue, pretty easy fix though”, she continues to walk around the bike, squatting down and looking at the gears. “And it looks like your chain is gone”.

Christen looks down in shock and, sure enough, there is no chain connecting the front and back gears. 

“Oh my god, I didn’t even notice the chain was missing” Christen groans, realizing that she was too caught up in her emotional fury after the crash. 

“Don’t worry about it. Luckily this is a single speed so you- shit, is your knee okay?” the employee quickly questions, now that she’s at eye level with Christen blood-dried knee. Christen had almost forgotten about her knee, along with her dirty, scraped hand, having been too focused on getting her bike fixed and making it back to her apartment. 

“Yeah I’m fine, it’s just a scrape I got in the fall” she laughs, trying to take the attention away from her embarrassing crash. 

“Are you su-”

“Oh yeah, I’m totally good, 100%. So is there anything else that seems to be an issue?” Christen asks, changing the subject.

The woman eyes her concerningly, but drops the subject nonetheless. 

“Ya, it looks like the back of the saddle’s a little torn and part of your kickstand has broken off a bit, but again, all things that are pretty easy to repair.” she finishes with a smile. She walks back around the counter and starts typing on the computer again. 

Christen’s relieved that it’ll be an easy fix, also hoping that it won’t cost too much since it’s not like the studio is up and running yet.

“Great, I’m glad it's not too wrecked, this one’s been with me through it all.” Christen jokes, but not really because the bike _has_ been with her for a long time. 

“Yeah I get what you mean.” the woman chuckles with her. “So I’m gonna have our main mechanic take a look at it when she gets back from break to see if there’s anything I didn’t catch and we can call you back tomorrow. From what I can see, it’s just some minor issues, so it should actually be fixed by tomorrow, but if it’s more complicated we’ll still call to discuss how you’d like to go about it. ”

“Awesome, that sounds great!” Christen replies.

“Sweet, so if you could just fill out this form with your contact info and whatnot, I’ll take your bike to the back and get you on your way” the worker says with a smile, coming back around the counter and easily lifting the bike as she moves through the open door frame towards the back shop.

There’s a large empty window frame next to the door frame, giving an open view into the shop. Tools are scattered everywhere, along with paint splatter and various bicycle parts thrown about. Christen would love the chance to get in there and organize everything. 

She sees the contact sheet and quickly fills it out, wanting nothing more than to get home, wash away the day’s troubles in a hot shower, and cozy up on her couch with her two companions: Netflix and wine. 

When she finishes filling out the sheet, she takes the time to look around the place a bit. While there are definitely high-end pieces of cycling equipment on display with LED lights shining down on various types of racing frames, there are also more consumer friendly types of bikes, the type Christen grew up with on the coast of California. It reminds her of sunset filled evenings, biking along the beach in the summer. On a large wall near the back side of the room displays a collection of very colorful looking frames, accompanied with a sign that says “Custom Frame Painting Now!”. Christen’s very captivated by these, noticing the intricacy of every frame, every detail. 

“So…” the woman brings Christen back from her mind. “Your bike’s back there. Heath’s gonna look at it probably tonight. My name’s Ashlyn so you can ask for with me, but if I’m MIA or somethin feel free to just ask for Heath directly.”

“ ‘Ask for Helping Heath’, got it” Christen teases.

Ashlyn laughs and before Christen knows it, she’s leaving the store with a “thanks” and is on the way to her apartment. 

_“Helping Heath”_ Christen chuckles to herself _So weird._

~~~

It’s 11:30 the next day and Christen is getting out breakfast supplies (because she’s been working up until then and forgot to eat), when she gets a call from an unknown number. 

All morning, she's been cutting out images and writing ideas for a dream board of what Julie and the team want their business to become, something she thought would help motivate them. While Christen’s never been a big arts-and-crafts type of person, she liked the idea of visually setting goals for everybody on this project. 

“Hello?” she answers her phone curiously. 

A deeper, unsure voice replies, “Uh, hi… is this, uhhh... Christen Press?”

“Yes? Who is this?” Christen responds while sprinkling cheese on her freshly made omelette.

“This is, uh, Tobin Heath. We have your bike all fixed up at the shop if you, ummm, wanna swing by and pick it up…” 

“Ah, so you’re the Heath of ‘Helping Heath’?” Christen answers with a grin, remember how corny that brand name is. She sits at her small dining table as the conversation continues. 

“Haha, yea…” Tobin nervously replies, glad that they’re talking on the phone so she doesn’t see the massive blush she’s sporting. “Umm, that’d be me.”

Noticing how nervous her teasing is making the other woman, Christen relents. “Thank you, I’m actually free right now if you want me to come down?” She takes a bite of her breakfast, waiting for a response. 

Tobin panics slightly. Ashlyn’s on her break and she’s the only one in the store. She’s nervous about talking to this woman in person after Ashlyn raved about her goddess-like beauty the day before. 

_“Dude, she was literally so hot. She looked like a goddess, even with a bloody knee.” Ashlyn excitedly explains while Tobin’s focused on threading a cable through a new bike frame. “She must have crashed pretty badly, but anyway, seriously smokin’.” she raves._

_“You do know that you’re married to Ali, right? Like, you’ve been together for like a million years. Does she know you gawk over other women like this?” Tobin questions, even though she knows that Ashlyn and Ali have the strongest relationship ever._

_“Hey, this bitch may be set in the love department” Ashlyn counters, pointing at herself, “but that doesn’t mean I don’t have eyes. And anyone with eyes would tell you that the lady in here was hot as hell.” Ashlyn smirks. “You should try to talk to her a bit. She seemed pretty nice too, considering both her bike and knee were pretty battered…” She wiggles her eyebrows._

_“Yeah, yeah. Maybe… ” Tobin responds, waving her off._

_Ashlyn gives one last push, knowing there’s little she can do once her friend’s zoned in on a bike frame. “Well she’s gotta come back tomorrow and pick up her bike, soooo it’s not too late…”_

Tobin didn’t want to be rude, but she didn’t trust herself to not be an awkward fool around this supposedly mind-blowing beauty. “Yup, uh, sounds good, see you then!” Tobin quickly hangs up, not wanting to say anything that’ll embarrass her. 

Christen looks at her phone strangely after hearing the call end, wondering if Tobin meant to hang up so abruptly. 

She smiles to herself though, eager to get her bike back. 

~~~

Tobin didn’t have time to stress about the beautiful Christen Press coming by because she was too focused on angling shifters onto new drop bars for a client’s racing bike. The rest of the world fell away as she worked in her own world, filled with pedals, derailleurs, and bike frames. Tobin’s favorite place was her bike shop, often regarding it as her zen place, where she can truly express herself. Building different types of bikes wasn’t just part of her family business, but a passion she held dear to her heart as well. Her father had taught her about the mechanics of bicycles and Tobin was able to bring her own creativity to the business in painting custom bike frames, something that brought joy to her and success for the store. 

After tightening the shifter down, she barely hears the ding of a bell. She is so caught up in building the new race bike, she also doesn’t notice a muffled voice until she looks up and her eyes connect with clear green eyes. 

_Whoa_ she thinks.

Her eyes stay locked onto these gorgeous pair of emerald-colored ones, unable to remember ever looking at something so beautiful in her life. She’s almost proven wrong when her eyes drift to the woman’s smile, beaming at her. Tobin also didn’t think an outfit like a t-shirt and jeans could look so good on someone, but on this tan woman, she can’t think of anything more gorgeous. 

She stays frozen, staring for a concerning about of time before breaking out of her trance and deciding to try and function like a normal human being. She quickly moves around her workbench, accidently colliding her hip with the corner of the table and cursing under her breath. Christen only giggles. 

_So much for not doing anything embarrassing_ she mentally criticizes. 

She walks through the door frame, suddenly a bit self-conscious of her grease-covered overalls and her dirty looking white t-shirt. Her hair is falling out of a messy half-bun and there’s grease marks all over her long arms. Quickly wiping her hands on her overalls, she makes her way to the front counter to try and form a complete sentence in front of this, indeed, goddess of a woman. 

“Hey, um sorry I didn’t hear you. I was kinda in my head there” Tobin starts, not quite sure what to say. 

“No problem! I assumed you were just focusing and not ignoring me or anything” Christen smiles. “I was just saying hi”. A blush returns to Tobin’s face as she scratches the back of her neck and Christen thinks it’s the most adorable thing she’s ever seen. 

They stand there in silence just looking at each other. 

“So you said my bike was fixed?...” Christen begins, deciding to break the awkward silence since she realizes she can’t stand there and look at the cute mechanic all day (much to her disappointment). 

“Oh, um right.” Tobin stutters, remembering the reason why Christen was here in the first place. She quickly walks over to the side of the store, rolling out Christen’s freshly fixed cruiser. The wheel doesn’t look like an arrow, the seat has new leather, and the small scratches that were on the teal frame before the crash have been polished out. Everything’s fixed and it looks brand spankin’ new. 

Christen grabs the handlebar, light grazing the new saddle with her fingertips. She doesn’t even remember it looking this good when she first got it for Christmas all those years back. 

“Wow, this looks amazing Tobin.” Christen smiles,looking at the mechanic’s soft facial features, “Thank you!”

“It wasn’t much, really. Pretty straightforward fix and all.” Tobin replies sheepishly. She’s usually not there when bikes are given back, letting Ashlyn handle most of that, so she’s a little shy during this customer interaction. 

“Seriously,” Christen looks directly at Tobin, her genuineness showing through those captivating eyes. “Thank you so much.”

Once again, they find themselves in silence, gazing at one another. But it’s not as awkward somehow. 

They’re interrupted by Ashlyn sauntering to the counter from the back, a grin growing on her face. 

“Hey, Christen, right? You want me to ring ya up now?” Ashlyn asks, seeing both heads whip towards her now that they’ve realized they’re not alone.

“Sure.” Christen answers softly, taking a couple steps towards the counter. 

Much to everyone’s surprise, including Tobin’s, she speaks up, “Um actually, I can do all that if you wanna extend your break a bit…” 

_Just a few more minutes with her_ Tobin pleads.

Little does she know, Christens hoping for the same thing. 

Ashlyn tries to suppress a massive smile. She doesn’t remember the last time Tobin’s opted to do the monotonous type of business work over the chance to escape into the shop, especially with a new project waiting for her. Ashlyn doesn’t actually think it’s happened before. 

“Well that’s an offer I just can’t turn down, boss” Ashlyn exits with a quick hand salute and a grin. They watch her make her way towards the staff room, hidden in the back. 

Tobin turns to Christen with a closed-mouth smile, grateful to spend even a little bit more time with the beautiful woman. She walks back behind the counter to get everything in order.

“And that'll be fifty bucks.” Tobin says somewhat confidently, hoping Christen won’t question anything. It doesn’t work as Christen looks at her in astonishment.

“Fifty dollars for basically turning my eight year old bike into a brand new one?” Christen questions. She mentally goes through all the broken parts Ashlyn had recalled the day before, estimating the price of the repair to be way more than what Tobin stated. 

“Like I said,” Tobin smiles “Easy fix.”

Christen is standing there confused, but she realizes that she’s not in a position to really question the mechanic, her bike knowledge being very, very minimal. 

_Maybe all the parts are cheaper than I thought and the repair was actually relatively easy_

She pulls out her credit card and proceeds with the transaction, not missing the way Tobin’s smudged hands swiftly type on the computer. She thinks about how skillful those hands must be to be able to repair and build bikes - the magic she could create. 

“And you’re all set.” Tobin looks back up and hands her the credit card, dreading in the back of her mind, the end of her time spent with the beautiful client. “If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to drop by. I’ll usually always be around here” she adds, trying to hide the slight desperation in her voice.

Christen smiles as she puts away her credit card and grabs a hold of her bike’s handlebar. She decides to throw one last jab, loving the effect she obviously has over the nervous mechanic. “Thanks again, ‘Helping Heath’.” she winks and Tobin watches her stroll out the door, the bell dinging once more. 

Tobin releases the breath she didn’t realize she was holding, complete starstruck by the woman she’d just met. She stays rooted at the counter, replaying the entire interaction she just had, smiling to herself. She feels as though her heart might burst. 

“Fifty buck my ass” Ashlyn cuts in as she walks back out towards the front of the store. Tobin hides her smile and slowing turns around, knowing where this conversation was likely going to go. “You practically replaced all the parts on her cruiser AND you fixed up any visible blemishes.” Ashlyn recounts. 

Tobin leans against the counter as Ashlyn leans on the door frame, at a standstill. They look at each other, seeming to communicate everything with their eyes. Tobin knows what she did and she knows that the cost of the repair was closer to $200 after all the extra work she put in. Had it been any other customer and she would have been fine with asking for what the work was worth (she did put her heart and soul into every build or repair, no matter how small). If it was a new customer, she’d maybe throw in a little discount…

But claiming that the total was fifty instead of the whole $200?

Tobin sighs and breaks first, “Yes, yes, I know”. She walks past a chuckling Ashlyn, deciding to focus back on her new build instead of going through the motions on how they’re down $150. Ashlyn lets her by, knowing damn well that her friend is absolutely infatuated by the come-and-gone customer. 

~~~

Christen props her bike up with a huff, its new kickstand letting it lean securely near the door. Luckily, she only lives on the second floor of the building, so it wasn’t too much of a hassle to drag the hunk of metal, but the bike didn’t fit in the elevator so she still had to carry it up the flight of stairs. (She cursed at herself when she managed to scratch the glossy new finish of the frame against the corner of the stairway.)

Christen is immediately met with a coffee table and couch both covered with parts of the business’ dream board she had been working on. She sighs, walking over (suppressing her neat-freak tendencies), and shoving the array of items onto the ground, successfully clearing the surfaces. Christen takes the time to relax for a bit, hopping onto the couch to lay down and think for a bit. 

She wanted to take this time to ignore any business responsibilities and only think about the woman she just met. She reasons that if she tried to focus on work now, it would have failed anyway. The only thing on her mind was the bike mechanic.

_Tobin_. 

_Tobin Heath._

_“Helping Heath”_

She giggled at the thought of the shy woman. 

Shy but sort of in a sexy way. 

Then a disappointing thought crossed her mind, _I’m not gonna get to see her again_ …

She frowned at that, looking at her refurbished bike. 

Her eyes suddenly shifted to the scissors she’d pushed from the coffee table (glad that she hadn’t accidentally cut herself). She looked back at her bike again, and then the scissors, and back to her bike, eyeing the black cords that grew from the handlebar brakes. An idea pops into her mind. A stupid and impulsive one, but she thinks that maybe she needs to be a little stupid and impulsive now. 

Before she could talk herself out of it, Christen jumps up from the couch, grabs the scissors from the floor, and rushes to her beloved cruiser she’s had for ages. 

She brings the scissors up to the brake cords, having a moment of hesitation until an image of Tobin Heath’s bright smile appears in her memory. 

Then she cuts. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter's motivated by the infamous overalls i miss Tobin wearing.


	2. A fucking rom-com

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin likes bagels, Christen needs a break, Kelley is not reading the signs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i should just let yall know, i have ZERO plan for this story. Like idk if ur supposed to have an outline when u write, but i went into this completely blind. Every development that happens is written in the moment with no thought towards the consequences hahaha. (fyi, imma try to update every sunday but dont get too attached to that cause me and schedules dont mix)

Ashlyn parks her car in the back lot, carrying fresh coffee and bagels from the bakery down the street. She’s completely unsurprised to see the shop light already on, knowing that Tobin somehow manages to work with less than five hours of sleep a night. The sounds of cutting metal is further evidence of Tobin already hard at work.

Setting the goodies down (next to an already empty mug of coffee), Ashlyn grabs a warm bagel and hops up onto the counter to wait for her friend to stop sawing so she can actually speak. With the pinging sound of a fallen piece of pipe hitting the shop floor, the sawing stops. 

“So here’s the thing.” Ashlyn begins, laughing when she sees the physical reaction of Tobin's body jumping up in shock.

“Holy shit, Ash!” Tobin exhales sharply, turning around and clutching her now rapidly beating heart. “Don’t you know not to sneak up on someone like that? Especially if they’re holding a fucking saw?!”

Ashlyn can only laugh again. “Relax Tobs. At least you won’t need this extra coffee I gotcha, right?” she jokes, tapping the tray of coffees on the table. Tobin sees the white bag with the bakery’s logo, eyes widening and mouth watering at the smell of fresh bagels. She puts down the saw and reaches into the warm bag, pulling out a toasted bagel, already smothered in cream cheese. 

“You’re lucky I like you…” Tobin groans while taking an unbelievably large bite of the delicious breakfast bread.

“Hey, save those sounds for Christen.” Ashlyn grins, raising her eyebrows suggestively. Tobin rolls her eyes in response. She was saddened at the thought of never getting to see the tan woman again, those green irises being one of the first things that made its way into her mind when she woke up. 

Ashlyn seems to sense this change of mood. “So let me start again,” she continues. “Here’s the thing: unless by some miracle y'all run into each other on the street, which is unlikely ‘cause we’re not in a fucking rom-com, you two probably aren’t gonna get to see each other again.” Before Tobin can interrupt with “I’m fine” or “I don’t need to see her again” (in the back of her mind she’s not fine and she _really_ wants to see the woman again), Ashlyn proceeds. 

“Butttt…we technically have her number on file… ”

Tobin waves her hand in the air. “No. No, Ash. I can’t just take her number like that to contact her, that’s weird.” She sets her mostly eaten bagel down and walks over to try and find some sandpaper in the mess of tools. 

Ashlyn sassily replies, “Well sis, she’s not just gonna waltz back in here, so you gotta take some action!” 

“Yeah take some action! CARPE DIEM!” They’re interrupted by a boisterous Kelley O’Hara barging her way through the back door (having way too much energy for such an early morning). “What’re we tryin get Tobs to do? If you’re reconsidering the unicycle-and-beer challenge, I definitely want in.” she mischievously grins. 

Ashlyn looks at Tobin, then back to Kelley. “So-”

“Nothing!” Tobin blurts out, sending daggers to the tattooed woman. The last thing Tobin wants is a blabber-mouth Kelley doing something stupid, especially if it has anything to do with Tobin’s dating life. “Ummm, there’s just this new part I wanna get for this bike, but I’m not sure if I should go for it.” she tries to cover up. 

“Hmmm, if you think the piece would be worth having for the frame and for the client, I’d say do it.” Kelley advises. She’s always been pretty reliable when it comes to bike building decisions. (But not about relationships.)

“Thanks.” Tobin replies briskly, finally seeing some sandpaper under a pile of wheels and happy that she’s successfully fooled Kelley.

“No problem bud. Did you get the front up and runnin’?” she asks Ash.

With a smirk still plastered on her face, Ashlyn replies, “No, not yet.”

“Alrighty, let's go out and get this party started!” Kelley whoops and strolls towards the front of the store, picking up one of the coffees and finishing off Tobin’s bagel on her way.

Ashlyn looks back at Tobin, who’s sanding down the end of the freshly cut pipe. “We’ll continue this convo later, Tobs. Not getting out of it that easy!” she exclaims, walking back into the staff room with the bag and coffees in hand. Tobin huffs in response, not wanting to admit just how much she wishes this whole thing was a fucking rom-com.

~~~

Christen is heading out the door to meet up with Julie and go over new business plans. As she gathers her things, taking a peek at the weather report and opting to bring a jacket, she walks past the bike; the charming beach cruiser with brake cables that are completely wrecked from her hasty, cutting-outburst the day before. She feels upset, almost immediately regretting her actions after the deed was done. Christen was typically a very resourceful type of person, always keeping her toothpaste until there was literally none left and only buying a new yoga mat if hers was worn down to the ground. She hated the fact that she had purposefully damaged the bike, even if it was in an effort to possibly see the cute bike mechanic again. She leaves her apartment feeling conflicted. 

Walking through the streets, she sees the blonde glow of Julie’s hair in the bakery window, a smile and an energetic wave coming from her business partner. Christen enters the trendy-looking shop, welcoming the warm, inviting atmosphere. (The weather report definitely did not lie this time around). 

“Chris!” Julie stands and goes in for a hug. “You look like a popsicle! How’s your Cali blood feelin’ in this weather?” 

“Ugh, the frostbite’s new but, then again, so is everything else. Lemme order something real quick and to try to warm up my insides.” Christen quickly scans the list of quirky-named drinks and returns with a steaming cup of espresso, ready to talk business. “So I finished that dream board last night and sent a picture of it to the group chat. I also went through all the documents Nick sent over about the studio and he wants us to come by and take a look soon, maybe tomorrow if that works for you.”

Julie sips her coffee with an impressed expression. “Wow, Chris. Is this why you’re always pent up in your apartment all the time?” She’s well aware of the amount of documents Nick had sent out when she had received a copy as well. The moment she saw the width of that stack of papers, she left them in her mailbox without taking one look at what they had to say. 

Christen blushes a bit at her social life (or lack of) being called out. Julie notices and quickly adds, “I’m just saying that you’re new to the city, explore a bit! There’s a ton of fun, touristy, not-so touristy stuff you could do. I mean, the progress the team’s made so far, especially with all the work you've done, has put us on a really good path, Chris. So, what have you done in the city just, ya’know, for yourself?” Julie questions with a sweet smile. 

Christen instantly remembers the bike incident and fiasco that had led her to the woman she can’t seem to stop thinking about. “Actually, I did go out and bike around a bit to try and get to know the city.”

Julie’s face contorts with hesitancy. “In that beach cruiser of yours? That’s not really the _best_ bike to go around this part of the city in… ”

“Yeah, funny story. I learned that the hard way when my front wheel hit a ditch or something and I flung over my bike!” Christen animatedly replies, glad that she can joke about it now that it’s in the past. 

In hearing this, Julie is laughing so hard her stomach hurts, visualizing the entire scenario in her head. She wipes a tear from her eye as she tries to form a coherent sentence between her fits of laughter. “Oh my god… Chris… did… did you break… anything?”

Christen can only laugh with her friend, recounting the story. “Yes, my cute little cruiser was pretty messed up.”

Julie manages to calm down a little, wanting to ask more questions in a civilized manner. “Aw, your little cruiser. Were you able to get it fixed or is it too broken now?”

A blush creeps onto Christen’s face. “Actually, I was able to get to a nice bike repair place nearby…” She’s not sure how much information she wants to give away about her interaction with the charmingly shy store owner. 

“Oh, ‘Helping Heath’s’?” Julie casually guesses as she sips her now lukewarm coffee. 

Christen suddenly chokes on her drink after hearing the name out loud. 

“Whoa, you okay there? Coffee too strong?” Julie questions, sitting up a little while Christen sputters and coughs.

"Uh, yup." Christen rasps out, clearing her throat and trying to act like she's been totally fine and sane since meeting the Heath of "Helping Heath’s". (Like she didn’t chop her bike up with the crazy hope of seeing the woman again). After she's able to get her lungs to recover, Julie looks at her almost sympathetically.

"So besides the tragic bike accident, have you been out and about at all?" she asks. When Christen stays silent, guilty eyes shifting down at her lap, Julie gives her a look.

“I know, I guess I just want all this business stuff to be over with so we can open and _actually_ start running the studio.” Christen sighs.

“And we’ll get there, Chris. It’s a process.” Julie assures her, gently taking Christen's hand to try and comfort her friend. “I know this meetup was supposed to be for focusing on the studio, but as of now, I’m officially suspending you from any and all business related work for the next, like, three days. _I'll_ talk with Nick more and handle any urgent paperwork and _you_ can just take a few days for yourself and the city.” Julie declares with a light squeeze of her hand. “If you need any suggestions on where to explore, I got plenty to give.”

They softly chuckle with each other. “Well if it’s 'official', I suppose I have to go out and explore then." Christen says, happy that she has such caring friends like Julie. She's glad she has people that really look after her well-being and experiences, especially in this new city.

~~~

Christen arrives back to her apartment feeling much lighter than when she had left. With the weight of a new business (partially) lifted from her shoulders, she feels a sense of freedom lingering in the air. She can really take these next few days to get herself more acquainted with the city. Christen feels almost anxious a little with how much freedom she has; the world is truly her oyster. Before she even drops her bag onto the couch, she looks over to her poor cruiser and decides to just bite the bullet. She feels a bit embarrassed to make an appearance in the bike shop so soon, but to put her mind at ease she simply thinks of it as any other task that needs to get done. Not about how she could possibly get to see the awkward and cute mechanic that's been plaguing her mind at every chance. _Tobin Heath_. She doesn't even know if Tobin will be there, but this is what she asked for when she brought those sharp cutting edges to her precious bike. This is what she wanted, right? Needless to say, she's nervous.

~~~

“That kid LOVED the lil bike you painted for her.” Ashlyn says with a gleaming smile as she walks into the staff room. Tobin had recently painted an absolutely adorable baby blue kid’s bike, detailing it with realistic-looking dandelions blowing around the bike frame. The pure joy in the little girl’s eyes when she saw her newly painted bike completely made Ashlyn’s day. 

Her bright smile falters a little when she sees Tobin on the couch, toying with a broken crankset. Occasionally, Ashlyn has had to heavily persuade her busy-hands type friend to step away from the shop from time to time (“heavily persuade” consisting of having to physically lift Tobin’s reluctant body away from whatever project she's working on). She was less than satisfied to see that Tobin had found some way to keep working, as if the abundance of hours she puts in already isn’t enough. 

Ashlyn stomps over, snatching the bike part away from her friend’s hands. The hazel-eyed mechanic looks up in annoyance. “Hey! What’s your problem, Ash?!” She tries to swipe the part back but Ashlyn's quick to pull her hand away. 

“The staff room is a ‘no-work zone’. The staff room is for food and chillin’ out and video games. You always work through your beaks, dude. Don’t you ever need a break?” the blond questions. 

“I take a break when I clock out and get home, but if I’m here AT WORK, I’m gonna use my time to actually work.” the mechanic argues, successfully grabbing the crankset back from her tattooed friend. “Plus with that huge race this weekend, I got loads of bikes that need tune-ups before then.”

Ashlyn’s about to respond back (something along the lines of _Kelley is also a mechanic here_ ), when the ding of a bell sounds from the front of the store. She gives a frustrated shake of her head. “You are one lucky son of a bitch today, Tobs.” she remarks, making her way back out to the front and leaving her stubborn friend smirking in the back.

Her feet freeze at the door frame when she sees a green-eyed woman with a green-blue beach cruiser slowly enter the store. Knowing Tobin was still in the back (not doing anything _too_ important), she grins and books it through the shop, heading straight for the back entrance. 

_Hell yes_ she thinks as she runs out _This is perfect for stubborn, lil Tobin_

She bumps into Kelley on her way out the door, yelling back “I’m taking my break now!!”

Kelley dismisses the entire interaction as she walks back into the building, well aware of Ashlyn’s crazy antics. She peeks into the staff room, knowing Tobin was still somewhere inside, working or fixing. She also sees the insanely beautiful customer waiting to be helped at the counter, thinking it strange that Ashlyn decided to leave even though someone was obviously in the store. _Maybe one of Ashlyn’s exes?_ Kelley ponders. She makes her way to the front, very eager to help such a stunning woman (with _whatever_ she needs). 

Kelley approaches the stranger with the flirtiest smile she can muster, without being too creepy. “Hi there! What can I do ya for?” she casually asks, leaning against the counter.

“Ummm, I was wondering if you guys could fix my bike again? I was actually here recently and your mechanic did a really fantastic job at repairing it before.” Christen timidly explains. She’s feeling a mix of emotions being back at the bike store: guilty in knowing that the damage to her bike was caused entirely by herself, embarrassed at having to come back in with a problem so soon, but also relieved that she’s met with a different employee. (And also hopeful in potentially seeing Tobin again). 

“You got it, gorgeous.” Kelley decides to just lay it on thick, completely ignoring the way Christen mentioned their head mechanic with such infatuation. “What seems to be the problem?”

Christen looks at her curiously, not used to employees being this _friendly_ with her, but she continues. “Yeaahh, so it looks like someone just cut the, um, things here.” She shakes the handlebars of her bike lightly to demonstrate that the brake cords were, in fact, cut into pieces. “Probably while I, uh, got coffee and locked it to a rack the other day.” Christen hopes her story is compelling enough, though she mentally criticizes herself for not coming up with a better explanation beforehand. (None of this was really thought through). 

“Huh,” Kelley’s eyebrows pinch together in confusion. “I’ve never heard of just the brake cables being cut before. Were any of your parts stolen?” She cranes her neck to get a good view of the bike, not seeing any missing parts or anything out of the ordinary (except for the mangled mess of cords in the front). 

“Nope.” Christen starts to heat up, knowing that her story makes absolutely no sense. “Probably just some, uh, crazy teen who thought it’d be funny.” she laughs nervously. 

Kelley seems to accept this, having been (and still is to some degree) a crazy teen herself. She decides that the “how” doesn't really matter too much. “We’re actually pretty swamped here at the moment with the weekend race so soon, but we should be able to fix it pretty quick anyway.” she explains, still somehow grinning flirtatiously. 

“Great! There’s really no rush at all. I don’t need the bike back as much as those hardcore racer-cyclists folks do.” Christen jokes. Kelley responds with an obnoxiously exaggerated laugh. 

“You are SO right about that.” she grins. 

They stand there in extremely awkward silence, nowhere near the level of somewhat-comfortable silence Christen had experienced with Tobin previously. 

Kelley is sending her major heart eyes when she says, “Well if you’ve worked with us before, we probably have your number on file, so you can just expect a call from me within a couple days. Whatcha go by?” she winks as she pulls up their customer index on the computer.

“Um, Christen Press. I, uh, actually met Ashlyn a-and Tobin when I came in before.” she stutters out, blushing slightly when she recalls the mechanic’s name.

“Looks like we gotchu on file here so, as I said, keep your phone on for a call, Christen.” Kelley concludes, saying Christen’s name with a long, teasing tone. “I may be able to give you a lil discount as well.” She wiggles her eyebrows. 

_Jeez, how does this place make any money with their cheap prices and discounts?_ Christen briefly wonders to herself.

“Cool, thanks! I’ll definitely be around.” she responds as she remembers Julie’s “official” break-from-work declaration. Christen doesn't catch Kelley’s suggestiveness, only thinking about the call she'll get and desperately wanting to hear the sweet, hazel-eyed mechanic’s voice again. _Maybe the call will be from Tobin and I’ll get to see her again_ she internally wishes as she steps out of the bike store. 

When Christen’s out of sight (and earshot), Kelley smiles widely and bounces in the direction of the staff room. “TOBIN!” she yells, seeing her friend’s head pop up. “I just met the HOTTEST chick EVER!”

“Kel, what did we say about the yelling thing?” Tobin asks. Her and Ashlyn had to sit Kelley down one day to talk to her about yelling during business hours and the effect it has on customers. 

“Shut up, there’s no one in the store for me to scare off.” Kelley plops herself down next to Tobin on the couch. “I just helped this knockout woman and we immediately hit it off!” she squeals, luckily at a much lower volume. 

“And what makes you say that?” Tobin questions in monotone, not completely engaged in the conversation. She’s well aware of the fast-paced infatuations of Kelley O’Hara. One day it’d be this woman, the next day it’d be a different one. In all of their years of friendship, she’s never seen her freckled friend _actually_ go on more than two dates with a woman-of-interest. 

“Well for starters, she blushed like three times during our conversation. AND she was being super nice and joked around with me. AAND she said, quote, ‘I’ll definitely be around’! Like she’s basically asking for me to ask her out!” the energized woman explained.

Tobin looks at her unconvinced. “Kel, maybe that’s just her personality and she’s nice. Maybe it looked like she was blushing ‘cause it was hot or somethin’. Maybe-”

“You’re right that she’s hot.” Kelley cut her off with a grin, ignoring the skepticism. “And I’m definitely prioritizing her bike so I can see her sooner rather than later.” she winks. 

“What? No, Kell! We got a ton of other work we need to do before the race!” Tobin protests.

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll get it done. Don’t worry about it. I just need to replace the brake cables anyway. Plus you just opened that new pack we had so I’ll slap ‘em on real quick.” she assures her friend. 

Tobin gets up to start working again. “Alright, that does actually sound easy enough.” she acknowledges, partially wondering why the bike’s only issue is the break cables. “Hey, you know where Ash went? I just saw her race out the back or somethin.”

Kelley just shrugs. “I don’t know dude. She’s weird.”

Neither one can argue with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter’s motivated by yummy bagels cause boy was i cravin a bagel whilst writin this….


	3. "Sexy Customer Lady"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin is oblivious, Ashlyn’s plan goes awry, Kelley is a really great friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love readin ur comments, most were along the lines of “wtf does Kelley think shes doin”. There’s gonna be a little more of that hehe, but we’ll get back to ur regularly scheduled mechanic soon...

Christen sits at her dining table, relaxing with her knees up to her chest and a belly full of omelette. After  _ finally _ having time to do her pre-Chicago morning routine of meditation and yoga, she’s left pondering what she wants to do with the rest of her day. Typically she’d start on some work, keeping her mind and her hands busy for the rest of the day, but now, she’s just left with herself. She considers maybe just staying here. In the present. Soaking it all in. 

And then she gets antsy and reaches for her phone to call Julie. 

_ “You better not be calling me asking for work to do, missy.”  _ Julie half-jokingly scolds after picking up. 

“No, Jules. I’m just bored and I wanted to know if you're free to hangout for a bit.” she clarifies, hoping that somehow her blond friend will have a master agenda of sorts, containing all the things Christen could do today.

She waits as she hears Julie hum in thought.  _ “Well I can't really meet up today, but I can text you some places that might get you more familiar with the city.”  _ she suggests.

Christen takes what she can get. “That sounds good, thank you!" 

“Cool, cool. So, uh, I know you had that whole deal with the bike crash and all, but a lot of the places I had in mind you can hit really easily via bike… " Julie trails off, wondering how traumatized Christen actually is from having flown over her handlebars.

Christen smiles at her friend's cautiousness. "Jules, I'm not scarred or anything from the accident. At least not mentally." she adds, glancing at her knee where there's still a scab healing over the wound. "So don’t worry. I'm totally cool with biking once I get my cruiser back from the shop, which should actually be today." (Christen was definitely not waiting anxiously and keeping her phone close to her, even through her meditation session, in hopes of getting a certain call, preferably from a certain someone.)

_ "Wait, I thought you were able to get it fixed at Heath's" _ Julie asks.

Christen still gets goosebumps hearing the name out loud. "Ummmm, yea I did." Christen knows the story she'd made up at the shop wouldn't get past her best friend as easily. "It just needed a little extra tuning up before I’m able to ride it." she settles for, hoping that keeping things vague won’t draw too much attention to the odd situation she’s found herself in. 

It's not that she wants to have a bunch of secrets or anything. Julie's been her best friend for ages and they've done plenty of gossiping with each other about dating and their love lives. Christen just feels like she's stepping on weird terrain here with this new crush (she finally admits to herself that this whole mess is a result of her  _ seriously _ crushing on the mechanic, despite their interaction being less than fifteen minutes long). So she doesn't want to hide anything from Julie, but she doesn't want to delve into her embarrassingly impulsive actions when there's really nothing to show for it. 

_ “Okay, well be safe on that thing. I’ll send you some links right now, love ya!” _ Julie ends cheerfully. 

“Love you too!” Christen sets her phone back onto the table. 

She stares at it, willing it to ring so that she can get back into the cozy bike store. After an excruciating six minutes of pining and silence, she decides to get up, get showered, and do  _ something _ with her day. 

The long-awaited call comes while she’s in the deli at the corner of her street. The second she hears the familiar ring of her phone, she answers (in the middle of ordering her sandwich) with a hasty, “Yes? Hello?”

“How ya doin’ miss Christen Press? It’s Kelley O’Hara.” a low, steamy voice says. 

A little freaked out, her senses heightened at the sound of this ominous call, Christen responds, “Um, who? How do you know my name?”

Kelley internally kicks herself for forgetting to give her name when they met.  _ Ug, rookie mistake! _ She tries to play it cool. “I’m the one who helped you at ‘Helping Heath’s’. Your bike's done so feel free to come by anytime today and pick it up. I'll be here.” 

Christen’s glad it’s not some creepy murderer and sighs in relief. “Oh, cool! I’ll be right over!” she announces, looking behind her shoulder and seeing the growing line of people waiting to order. With annoyed grumbling from some customers behind her, she hangs up with a quick “Bye!” 

“Bye-” Kelley barley gets the word out before the call ends. She shakes it off.  _ Ah, she’s so eager to see me again… _

~~~

Ashlyn comes through the shop with lunch for everyone. Walking through, she looks to the right at the vacant staff room. Turning her head to the left, she sees Kelley, furiously and meticulously fixing her hair in the bathroom mirror. Ashlyn just rolls her eyes. She sets the pizza down on the only open surface in the shop and (checking to make sure there's no shoppers in the store), yells, “LUNCH IS HERE!”.

Kelley’s quick to race to the pizza box, lifting the cardboard lid and letting the fragrant, mouthwatering smells of grease and cheese fill the air. “Now what did we say about the yelling thing?” she mocks in a teasing voice as she lifts a slice of gooey pepperoni pizza towards her mouth. Ashlyn playfully slaps her shorter friend in the shoulder with a stack of napkins, then walks towards the front to see what’s keeping Tobin from devouring lunch. As she leans against the door frame, she watches Tobin carefully hang up a newly customized frame, the mechanic's steady breaths keeping every movement slow and deliberate. The last thing she’d want to do is drop the pristine frame, especially after the hours she put into building and painting the piece. Ashlyn decides that now’s not the best time to scare Tobin, knowing that she’d have hell to pay if she messes with any of Tobin’s work. 

Once the frame is securely set on the wall rack, Tobin steps back with her hands on her hips to get a full view, the finished product in all of its glory. She turns her head to see Ashlyn’s dopey smile. “Don’t give me any sappy shit, Ash.” she mumbles, walking towards the wafting scent of pizza. 

“Okay, okay. I’m just happy that you’re so happy about your work. I know a lot of people have to do shit that they don't wanna do just for the pay, but I’m happy that you get to do something you really love. Something you’re really passionate about.” Ashlyn explains, moving out the way of the door frame. 

“Jeez, you sound like my dad.” Tobin whines, but internally, she’s appreciative of Ashlyn’s sappiness from time to time (and Ashlyn seems to know this). 

“Well Jeff’s the coolest, so I’ll take that as a compliment.” the blond counters as she pulls out a stool to join her two best friends, diving into the hot pizza. 

Kelley wipes her mouth with one of the supplied napkins, balling it up and throwing it into a nearby trash can as if it were a free throw. 

“Wow, Kel.” Tobin mumbles with a mouth full of melting cheese and marinara sauce. “Only one piece? What happened to the girl that was able to crush three boxes of pizza within twenty minutes?” 

“I'll have you know that ‘Sexy Customer Lady’ is comin’ any second now and I don’t wanna reek of garlic and pizza grease.” Kelley explains. Whenever Kelley has talked about Christen (which is every chance she gets), she refers to her as ‘Sexy Customer Lady’, earning plenty of eye rolls from her annoyed friends. 

Completely over Kelley’s rambling about this mysterious catch, Ashlyn decides to spill the beans, even though she knows Tobin’s going to want to rip her head off for saying anything. “Well, our lil Tobs here has her own ‘Sexy Customer Lady’ she’s been eyeing, ain’t that right?” she adds, bumping shoulders with the mechanic. 

Kelley’s eyes widen in joyful bewilderment at this newly shared piece of information, while Tobin glares at Ashlyn, indeed looking as though she’s about to rip the blond’s head off. 

“Oh my god! Tobs! This is so exciting!!” the freckled woman says with enthusiasm, jumping up and down while shaking the other mechanic’s shoulders. “We could all become a squad and go on double dates,” she looks at Ashlyn, excitement bursting through her face. “TRIPLE dates!” she corrects. “Oh my god we could have a joint wedding and our kids could all be best friends too!”

Tobin grabs onto the bouncing woman’s shoulders. “Kel, calm down, damn. Let’s just chill with the whole triple dates, and weddings, and kids, talk okay?” Kelley relaxes only slightly, still a spark of electricity in her eyes. 

“Did you get to talk to her yesterday?” Ashlyn asks, mischievously looking at Tobin. Ashlyn’s stomach had done a full 360 when she laid eyes on Tobin’s crush waltzing back into the shop the other day. She had spent a solid thirty minutes out after sprinting away from the building, plenty of time for Tobin to woman-up and make some progress with the curly haired customer. 

"What are you talking about?" Tobin questions as she wipes her hands on her work pants, ready to put on some latex gloves and start applying some more grease to another frame. 

They hear the bell at the door, signaling the entry of a customer. Tobin and Kelley split directions, with Tobin being sucked back into her world of bike mechanics and Kelley bubbly prancing to the front of the store, heading to the woman she's been non-stop talking about.

Realization hits Ashlyn like a cyclist speeding down a mountain as she stands in the shop, head whipping back and forth between her two occupied friends.

_ Fuck _ . 

Kelley parades to the counter, looking into the green orbs of the woman across from her. “Hi.” she dreamily exhales.

“Hey Kelley!” Christen replies smiling. Her smile grows as she catches sight of the muscular back of the mechanic, working away in the shop.  _ Tobin’s _ muscular back, sweat causing her white shirt to stick to every inch of her strong frame. Any feeling of guilt or embarrassment Christen had before flew out the window while her heart flutters, staring at the woman behind Kelley. 

Kelley doesn’t seem to notice the lack of eye contact from “Sexy Customer Lady”. She walks over to the side of the store where they keep newly repaired bikes and wheels out Christen’s cruiser, freshly replaced brake cables on the front. “Ta-da!” she presents. 

Christen is brought out of her daze with a “Huh?” as she looks over to her bike. She then remembers the whole reason she was here in the first place, blushing at the realization. “Oh right. Looks good!” she comments, wondering if Tobin had used those skillful hands to fix her bike once again.

Sadly, her question is answered when Kelley boasts, “Yea, wasn’t too hard to replace ‘em.” 

“Thanks.” Christen utters, hiding her disappointment.  _ What were you thinking, of course Tobin doesn’t fix every single bike that comes into the shop _ .

Kelley props the bike on its kickstand, walking back around the counter away from Christen, but leans onto her forearms just as close. “Listen Chris, can I call you Chris?” Kelley asks, but proceeds to shoot her shot before the tan customer can actually give a verbal response. “Fixin’ your bike was real simple, I just had to replace a few cords and cables here and there. Now I could charge ya the thirty dollars that we’d usually ask for, buuuut I’m more inclined to take you to the Navy Pier as payment instead.”

Christen is left standing there with her brain going a million miles an hour, baffled at the freckled employee’s offer. She’s not dumb (she went to Stanford for God’s sake). She’s well aware that right now, she’s being asked out on a date. On one hand, the only woman she  _ really  _ wants to go out with is less than ten feet away, oblivious to this entire exchange. The sole reason she went to all this trouble in the first place was to get the chance to talk to the oblivious mechanic. But on the other hand, she _does_ want to explore the city a bit more. And it would be nice to have a local like Kelley walk around with her, especially with Julie being unavailable for the day. Plus it wouldn’t hurt to become closer friends with one of Tobin’s friends… 

In weighing her options, Christen quickly decides that she’ll take Kelley up on her offer, but make it clear that they’re only going as friends.

“Um, sure Kelley.” Christen starts, wanting to friend-zone her as gently as possible to not upset the energetic woman. “I just moved here so I’ve actually been meaning to make some  _ friends  _ and look around the city more.” she explains carefully, hoping that Kelley will pick up on how she accentuated the "friends" part.

Christen’s not so lucky, because Kelley tunes out after hearing the words “sure Kelley” leave her mouth. Once again, Kelley tries to act cool and unaffected, only tuning back in when she sees that Christen is done talking. “Well I get off in a few hours so how about you come back here at like four-ish and I can drive us to the pier. Then you won’t have to deal with parking or anything, too.”

_ It seems like she took the hint _ Christen thinks, noting the more relaxed type of behavior displayed by the employee.

“Sounds good, I’ll see you then!” She takes her bike and heads out the door, relieved that Kelley had taken the rejection so calmly. 

Kelley turns around excitedly to try and find Ashlyn, knowing Tobin was too deeply focused in her bike world to really listen to anything right now. She looks around and finds Ashlyn on all fours near the door frame, trying her best to be hidden. They lock eyes and look at each other oddly.

“Were you… eavesdropping?” Kelley questions. 

Knowing there was no good explanation to why she was hiding so close to the store front, Ashlyn admits, “Yes?” She pops back up on her feet, slightly afraid and unsure of how her friend will react. She’s very startled when Kelley latches onto her shoulders and starts jumping up and down, similar to what she’d done with Tobin minutes ago. 

“So I guess you know that I’M GOIN’ ON A DATE!!!” she shouts, excitement radiating from her short body as she cheerfully dances around the shop.

“Well, Kel, she said “friend”, so it might just be more of a friend-date kinda thing.” Ashlyn comments, hoping not to completely burst Kelley’s bubble.

Kelley freezes instantly and Ashlyn can practically see the gears turning in her friend’s head. After a second, Kelley decides, “No, I don’t think so!”, instantly returning to her high spirited self. 

Ashlyn shakes her head as she looks over to Tobin, who’s unaware of anything that’s happening around her.

~~~

Christen is second guessing her outfit as she walks towards “Helping Heath’s Bicycle Shop” (for what seems like the millionth time). She wanted to keep things as friendly as possible, so she didn’t go for anything  _ too _ attractive, but she still wanted to look nice. In the end, she opted for light washed jeans, a colorful sweater, and some black Doc Martens, something she’d wear if she were hanging out with Julie. 

Before she even reaches the front door, Kelley comes out in a hurry. 

“Hey Chris!” She waves as they walk towards each other. “My car’s parked around back.”

“Alright. Thanks again for coming with me, Kelley.” Christen shyly replies, still not quite sure how Kelley’s feeling about being friend-zoned. 

“Well of course! I mean, I _am_ the one who asked.” she chuckles as they start walking around the building. 

“Aren’t you gonna lock the doors and stuff?” Christen looks at the seemingly empty shop, concerned with just leaving the store open for anyone to walk in. 

Kelley opens her car door as she clarifies. “Nah, Tobs is there. She’s always the last one in there.” Christen then notices a dim light coming from the shop window. “Sometimes I’m not even sure she ever leaves!” Kelley laughs, unlocking the passenger side door as they get into the car. 

_ “Tobs” _ Christen muses  _ That’s even more adorable than “Helping Heath” _

~~~

Christen actually really enjoys herself as she wanders around with Kelley. The freckled woman is dorky and easy to talk to. With a relatively minimal amount of flirting from Kelley, Christen learns more about the city and its history. They share an amazingly flavorful slab of spare ribs while sipping a complementing array of craft beers. Deciding to brave the daunting line, they make it onto the Centennial Wheel, instantly disregarding their regrets when they get to the top and witness the view. Christen looks out in amazement at the Chicago skyline, the towering buildings illuminated by lights, the whole city awake as ever as the sun sets below the horizon. Before leaving, the two grab some Ben & Jerry's ice cream on the way back to Kelley's car. Once they get in, Christen’s ready to call this a successful night until…

“Well this was a pretty great date, huh Chris.” Kelley remarks.

Christen freezes.  _ Fuck, so she didn’t get the message _ . She decides that, after such a great time, there’s no reason to tip-toe around this now. With a deep breath of confidence, Christen replies, “Kelley, I want you to know that I had a really fantastic time.” The freckled-face woman looks over like she's a little kid about to be punished, like she knows there’s a “but” coming. “But, I thought you understood that this was a friendly type of thing. Like, two friends, hanging out together. Not really a 'date'." Christen timidly explains. 

Kelley sighs, disappointed but not completely caught by surprise. The thought had been looming in the back of her mind ever since Ashlyn mentioned it. She tells Christen as much and starts to drive off, as Christen gives minimal directions towards her apartment. She periodically looks over at Kelley’s side profile, seeing that the woman was deep in thought. 

Christen feels extremely guilty about the entire thing. She really thought that they had a mutual understanding of what was happening and that they weren’t hanging out for romantic purposes. The only reason she even found herself in this situation was because she’d been hooked on one person,  _ Tobin _ . Christen decides that she needs to lay her entire deck on the table, no bullshit, no games. 

As Kelley parks the car in front of Christen’s building, they sit there in deafening silence, not expecting the night to end like this. Christen hasn’t seen the (typically) energetic woman next to her be this silent since the moment they’d met, so she decides to try and start her long explanation. “I want to explain myself ‘cause I feel really bad about how this all went down.” she begins. Kelley stays silent so she takes that as a cue to keep talking. 

“So I initially came into your store because I got into this stupid accident and I wrecked my bike. When I went to pick it up, I met Tobin and… I don’t know I just really liked her, like, immediately. She was shy and nervous but so adorable. We weren’t able to talk for that long and I had to leave, but the only thing I wanted to do when I got back to my apartment was talk to her again. So… I… '' Christen's glad it’s dark out, the only light coming from cars passing by, because she has an intense blush at admitting this out loud. “... I, um, cut the wire-things on the front of my bike so that I would have an excuse to come back to the store and maybe see Tobin again.” Kelley’s eyes widen at this, but before she can say anything, Christen continues. “I know, I know, I know what you’re gonna say. It was crazy and I wasn’t thinking rationally, but I did it and the next time I came in I wound up meeting you instead and I thought you were just being really nice at first and then you asked me out on this date and…” She takes a moment to breathe and collect her thoughts before resuming. “My best friend Julie forced me to take some time off of work so that I could have a chance to see the city more, I wasn’t lying about wanting to see the city. I mentioned that we were ‘friends’ and agreed to it on the basis of being ‘friends’ when I thought you knew that we were hanging out as ‘friends’... until… you called it a date.” Christen finishes, a little winded from her rambling. “I’m really, really sorry, Kelley. Truly.” 

Kelley’s jaw is slack and she’s looking through Christen rather than at her, very deep in thought. Kelley wants to be hurt. She wants to yell and be mad, but she just. Isn’t. And she takes that as a sign that maybe her heart wasn’t completely invested in this whole fantasy to begin with (or at least, not for the right reasons). 

After Christen’s whole speech, one of the only things she can think about is how the woman next to her had described Tobin: her best friend in the whole world. How Christen had admitted to going a little bonkers and vandalizing her own bike just at the possibility of seeing Tobin again.

Despite whatever impressions people have of Kelley O'Hara, everyone who’s met her would agree that she is a good friend. A great friend, in fact. The type of friend that makes up crazy, reckless beer challenges and absolutely crushes boxes of pizza in one sitting. The type that brings an extra amount of thrill to any situation, even to an otherwise mundane bike store. The type of friend that Christen strives to have in her life and the type that would do almost anything for their best friend’s chance at love. And that’s what Kelley decides to do because, at the end of the day, Tobin really is her bestest friend in the whole damn world. 

So in response to Christen’s word vomit confession, Kelley slowly nods her head in understanding and looks back into Christen’s eyes. “I forgive you Chris.” 

Christen tears up, having expressed a tsunami of emotions in such a short amount of time, only to be so genuinely forgiven. 

“I mean of course you’re smokin’ and I was expecting to have more of this emotional kind of talk laying down, with a lot less clothing…” Kelley jokes, lightening the mood as Christen chuckles through watery eyes. “But I’ve known Tobin for a very long time. She's one of the best things I have in life. ” she proclaims, back to being very serious. “And I know that she deserves someone who gushes about her like you just did and who fucks up their own bike in hopes of seeing that awkward fool.”

Kelley barely gets her words out before Christen aggressively throws herself over the center console and hugs her in a tight, meaningful embrace. Together, they share the moment in partial silence, the city still bustling around them. And they're glad that everything is out into the universe. 

Once they separate, they look at each other. Not with lust or judgement or any romantic undertones, but with happiness. Like they’re 100% certain that they’re going to be  _ really  _ good friends for a  _ really  _ long time. There’s a silent, secure affirmation of that. 

“So,” Kelley breaks the very comfortable silence with her signature mischievous smile. “Let’s figure out how to get you and Tobs together, shall we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by my insane lack of knowledge about Chicago! like why did my dumbass set this story in a city I've literally never been to (if ur from Chicago, hmu on Tumblr and tell me more about ur city hehe ;)


	4. Alegria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christen might regret this, Tobin is good at being supportive, Kelley (thinks she) deserves a pat on the back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was gonna cover a lot more stuff, but then this chapter would’ve been longer than i wanted. im tryin keep chapters under 4000 words (even though the last one was a lil over hehe). Also, i enjoyed writing this chap :)

Julie had intended for Christen to use her work suspension days as a time for discovery, both of the city and of herself. With Trip Advisor links and bike tour times sent, Christen was supposed to learn more about her new home with all the possibilities it has to offer. What Julie hadn't intended, was Christen using her little vacation to bunker down in her apartment with Kelley and brainstorm ways to ask out her crush. 

After deciding to meet at Christen's apartment the next morning, the two munch on diy sandwiches for lunch (Kelley now on her third sandwich) and bounce date ideas off of each other. They had become instant besties, both agreeing that they're better off as friends and nothing more than that. 

Christen's glad that her new friend has known Tobin for so long, making it much easier to choose an appropriate date plan. But even with Kelley’s extensive knowledge of Tobin's interests, hobbies, and quirks, a very limited amount of ideas have passed through with Christen’s seal of approval. They only have three options so far, despite brainstorming for almost two hours. 

"So that’s a no for the movies?” Kelley clarifies as she firmly crosses it off the notepad Christen had insisted she use. 

Christen sighs in frustration, not aimed at Kelley, but at her inability to come up with a decent date idea. She doesn’t even want to think about how to _actually_ ask Tobin to any of these hypothetical dates. “Kel, I’m gonna be WAY too anxious to just sit in a movie theater for two hours. And I’ll probably just wind up stress eating all the popcorn.” she exasperates. They take another moment to think up something else, anything else. 

“Hey, Tobin loves art. Maybe go to the Art Institute?” Kelley suggests before taking a humongous bite of bread, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. A sliver of hope flashes in Christen’s eyes as she seems to accept this new suggestion. She nods and uncaps the dry erase marker, scribbling onto a large whiteboard (something Kelley hadn’t expected to see when she walked into Christen’s apartment). Their measly list consists of “park picnic (w soccer ball for Tobin) '', “hike?”, “walk on beach”, and now, “Art Institute of C ''. 

“Surfing at Lake Michigan?” the freckled woman proposes, although the way she asks seems as though she already knows the answer coming. This is confirmed by the disapproving look Christen gives her. “Listen Chris, I’m seriously running out of possibilities for you two… as well as bread to make sandwiches.” she declares, tossing her crumpled napkin onto her plate. “I used my go-to date idea with you last night and, honestly, Tobin’s hobbies include and are limited to: art, surfing, soccer, and bike stuff. She spends basically all her time at the shop anyway, so I don’t even know when she’d be free for a date!”

Christen is quiet, staring at the whiteboard and letting Kelley’s words sink in. With a sharp exhale, she plops her body onto the couch, mentally exhausted from all the brainpower expended during the past two hours. 

Kelley puts her plate in the sink, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl before walking over to the couch. She sits on the floor in the space between the couch and the coffee table. “How about we take a break for today? You can sleep on it tonight ‘nd let it roll around in your subconscious,” she suggests, lightly tapping Christen’s temple and causing the curly haired woman to giggle. “And tomorrow, you can reevaluate where you’re at.” Kelley takes a bite of the crisp apple as she waits for Christen to either agree to the plan or decide to keep powering through. 

Christen sits up and lets out a deep breath as she finally says “Yea, that sounds like a smart idea.” She feels lucky that she’s met Kelley, someone who can make her laugh when she needs it and is willing to come up with date ideas less than 24 hour after their own failed date. “I’m gonna take a shower and try to relax. But you can hang out here if you want.” she offers.

“No thanks. I gotta get back to the shop before I’m yelled at.” Kelley smiles as they both stand up for a departing hug. 

“Thanks for the ideas and the company, Kel. You owe me a loaf of bread.” Christen mumbles, hugging her tightly. 

Kelley nods with a laugh. "Any time, Pressi." 

~~~

Kelley dumps her apple core into the outside dumpster before heading back inside the store. With a quick glance at her watch, she already knows that she’s going to get scolded for being out for so long. 

Kelley barely makes it to the other end of the shop before an annoyed Tobin Heath steps in her path, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed, communicating everything through her fierce glare. 

Tobin rarely gets mad, even at Kelley. The bike mechanic is satisfied with staying in her bike world, the only problems coming from peoples’ bikes. And despite her glare, Tobin’s not mad now. Even though she had to single handedly tweak and repair a plethora of bikes in preparation for the race the next day, she’s not mad. Highly annoyed, yes. But mad? No. 

Without a single word exchanged, Tobin walks past her to work on a dismembered racing frame. Kelley sighs, reaching for a bike stand and getting ready to dive right into work. She heads to the front of the store to grab a set of handlebars, but stops in her tracks when she sees the abundance of names listed on the race sign-up sheet. _Fuck, there really must have been a ton of bikes that needed tuning up for this thing_ she thinks to herself, feeling bad about missing work when Tobin needed her. She goes through the sheet of papers, shocked at the amount of names inscribed on each line.

Suddenly, an idea pops into Kelley’s head. One that Christen might REALLY hate. But one that would definitely fix her problem.

Because she doesn’t know Tobin’s schedule or when she’d be free for a date, but she does know that Tobin will be at that race. 

With a devilish grin, she grabs a pencil from the counter and jots down “Christen Press” on an open line. Kelley pauses when she’s met with two check boxes, one reading “Using own bike” and the other, “Renting a bike”. It’s too late to rent because all of the store’s bikes had been checked out weeks before this race. She knows that Christen can’t ride a beach cruiser in a bike race but she doesn’t think that the green-eyed woman just happens to have a racing bike on hand.

Another idea pops into her head. _God, I’m just full of ideas today_ she proudly thinks. 

“TOBIN!” she yells through the windowsill, even though Tobin’s only in the shop. 

“What Kel?” the mechanic irritatedly asks as she centers a saddle on a bike frame. 

“So, uh, Ashlyn told me all about your little crush on Christen Press.” she states, really just thinking on the fly. Tobin’s head jolts up in shock, unsure as to why Kelley’s bringing this up right now. Before she can say anything, Kelley continues, “Funny enough, I actually met her at, um, a random little coffee shop in town a few days ago… and we’re actually pretty good friends now…” Tobin doesn’t know where her friend’s going with this and honestly, neither does Kelley. “Um anyway, she signed up for the race tomorrow but she doesn’t have a good bike, just her lame cruiser, ya’know. And ahhh… I know you have a pretty sweet racing bike with the cool, expensive, foreign parts aaandd… she’s got a couple inches on ya but would you maybe want to let her use it for this race?” she finally gets out. 

Kelley knows she’s asking for a lot here. First, she needs Tobin to believe her to some extent and second, she’s asking Tobin to lend her beloved racing bike to someone she barely knows (despite wanting to know her more). 

Tobin’s hit with such a boatload of information that her brain short-circuits, unsure of what to say. She’s annoyed that Ashlyn would tell their hyper friend more about her “crush” and she’s surprised that said hyper friend supposedly knows her “crush”. 

But she also _really_ can’t say no to this, especially because it involves her “crush”

When Tobin had finished assembling her custom racing bike (it had taken quite a bit of time with having to save up and wait for world-class, imported parts), she vowed to not let anyone even touch her bike. 

But maybe… maybe she could make an exception. 

~~~

“Hey Kel, what’s up?” Christen yawns later that night as she tucks herself into bed, slightly exhausted from the day’s events.

“So you know how when there’s a fire, someone yells ‘fire’, and then everyone freaks out a bunch?” Kelley quickly asks.

Christen pauses, not expecting an elaborate story from her friend this late at night. “Umm, yeah? I… I guess?”

“But after everyone’s done freaking out and they get to safety, they’re actually super grateful that some had yelled ‘fire’?” she continually questions. 

“Kel, what’s your point?” Christen has no idea what this insane woman is going on about. 

There’s a very long pause on the other end, long enough that Christen pulls her phone away from her ear to check that the call is still going. 

“I-signed-you-up-for-the-100k-bike-race-tomorrow." the shorter woman spits out rapidly.

In hearing this, Christen shoots out of her comfy bed, suddenly wide awake. "YOU DID WHAT?!" she yells.

“Okay, before you say anything lemme explain.” Kelley rushes out. Christen’s too shellshocked to form words anyway so Kelley resumes. “You know we were thinking of date ideas but I don’t know when Tobin’s free, but I _do_ know that she’s required to be at the race tomorrow because the store’s one of the sponsors and she’s gonna be there for bike emergencies so I thought it’d be a surefire way for you to see and possibly hangout with her.” she explains in one breathless sentence. Christen’s still processing everything in silence, so Kelley adds, “Plus it falls under one of her passions: bike stuff!”

Kelley hears some heavy breathing over the line, thinking that Christen is fuming with anger. In reality, Christen is using meditative breathing techniques to slow her heart rate and dissipate her panicking. So Kelley is very surprised when a relatively calm voice responds, “Kelley. I can’t do a 100 kilometer bike race with my cruiser. I can’t do a 100 kilometer bike race period.”

“Not with that attitude!” Kelley tries to joke, but it falls flat. “C’mon Chris! You’re a fuckin’ yoga master so I know there’s a bit of athleticisim in ya. And for the bike thing… well, I actually told Tobin that you needed a bike for the race and she offered to let you use hers! And, um, she says you can come by the shop tomorrow morning before the race and pick it up.” Kelley had almost forgotten that detail. “Another opportunity to hangout with Tobin, see!” she tries to amend.

There’s even more silence over the line.

“I’m gonna freakin’ kill you, Kelley O’Hara” Christen grumbles.

Kelley grins, glad that Christen has given in to her plan. “Oh, you won’t have enough energy after the race to kill me, Christen Press.” she (kind of) jokes. 

~~~

Christen is wired that night, researching as much as she can so that she’s not going into this completely blind (probably not the best thing to do the night before a bike race). She googles everything, from what she’s supposed to wear, to the locations she’s biking to and from, to the weather report. It also doesn’t help her nerves to know that she’s going to interact with Tobin before the race to pick up the bike. And that Tobin is going to see her during the race. And that she’d probably see her after the race.

Luckily, the fatigue caused by her emotionally taxing day allows her to doze off for a couple hours. That is, before her brain reminds her of the race again and she springs back up, right in time to start getting ready. A million “what ifs” race through her sleep-deprived mind as she gathers her things.

_What if I pass out mid-race?_

_What if I don’t even finish the race?_

_What if I somehow wreck Tobin’s bike?_

_What if I make a complete fool of myself in front of her?_

That last one doesn’t seem like a “what if”, though, because she’s certain that she is going to make a complete fool of herself. 

~~~

She stops at the store beforehand, picking up almost everything that seems like someone would need for a bike race. With her little fanny pack (she read that _real_ cyclists wear fanny packs), filled to the brim with waters and various granola bars, she makes her way to “Helping Heath’s Bicycle Shop” with absolute dread, rounding the corner of the small building. 

The back door is open and Christen sees the shop light on, a sign that Tobin is in there, probably finishing up any last minute fixes. As she approaches, she sees the mechanic’s back once again, her chiseled muscles flexing as she tightens some bike part of some sort. With a light knock on the door frame, the green-eyed biker timidly announces her presence and Tobin looks over her shoulder. 

This is only the second time the two have met up in person. With increased heart rates and sweaty palms, they both slowly walk towards each other, meeting in the middle of the shop. They stay looking at each other, hazel eyes locked into emerald eyes, saying nothing but wanting to say everything at the same time. 

“Hi.” Tobins barely whispers.

“Hi.” Christen returns in a whisper just as soft.

Of course, their moment is interrupted by a sharp ringtone. Their daydream-like haze is broken as Tobin pulls out her buzzing device from the back pocket of her jeans.

“Yup?” she answers.

Christen can hear the excited yelling of Ashlyn’s voice from Tobin’s phone as she awkwardly shifts her eyes away, letting Tobin take the call. _“Yo Tobs, where ya at?!”_

“Still at the shop, Ash. Just had to make a pitstop.” she explains, slightly irritated at the timing of Ashlyn’s call. “How’s it lookin’ over there?”

_“Dude, loads of racers are showin’ up already! I think this might be one of the biggest crowds yet!”_ Ashlyn enthusiastically shouts through the phone. 

“Awesome… Well I’m finishing up here, so I’ll be over in a bit.” Tobin tries to wrap up the call, noticing how fidgety the woman in front of her is getting. 

_“Sounds good, see ya soon biiiitc-!”_ Tobin hangs up before Ashlyn can finish her sentence. 

She puts her phone back into her pocket as she makes eye contact with those piercing green irises again. Knowing that they’re on a bit of a time crunch, she tells Christen, “My bike’s just over in the staff room.” 

Christen’s left standing alone in the shop as Tobin goes to retrieve her bike. Her eyes widen like saucers when the soft-faced mechanic comes back into view, wheeling with her what looks like the most expensive bike in history. 

The frame's color begins with a metallic graphite and smoothly fades downwards to shades of jet black. It has a sharp matte finish with black detailing throughout the frame and a shimmering, iridescent cassette highlighting the many layers of gears. On the side of the frame, in a boldly warm orange font, is the word “Alegria” with the same blood orange hue occupying the exquisitely shaped handlebars and the thin rims. The wheels don’t have spokes, but rather, three widely shaped pieces of carbon fiber extending from the center. Every piece of hardware looks freshly polished, not a single imperfection in sight. Sure, Christen expected Tobin’s ride to be nice, she is a bike mechanic after all, but she did not expect such a modern, high-tech piece of equipment. Christen’s also not a big bike person anyway, but she knows that this bike Tobin’s holding is something special. 

Tobin chuckles with a faint blush, unsurprised at Christen’s reaction. She’s aware that most people wouldn’t match a bike like this to her in a lineup. But she’s not ashamed or anything because she worked hard to be able to have a bike like this. She’s proud of all the effort put into building it and she's even more proud at the finished product. 

Tobin is surprised, though, when Christen gazes at the frame and utters, “ ‘Happiness.’ ” 

The woman’s heart beats a little harder in hearing this and her signature smile widens. “Yeah.” she softly replies. “I didn’t know you spoke Spanish.”

“Yeah.” Christen repeats back. She walks over to the frame and lightly outlines the seat, the stem, the shifters with her fingertips, as if the entire bike might shatter if she applied any more pressure. “It’s beautiful, Tobin.” she whispers as she looks back up to meet Tobin’s hazel eyes, the two now less than a foot apart. “Did you build it yourself?”

“Sure did.” the mechanic proudly confirms.

Christen looks at her with wonder. “How long did that take?”

“A _very_ long time. I started saving up when I was a little kid. Most kids bought cars or clothes or whatever, but I didn’t. Just saved up my money until she was complete.” Tobin explains, patting the handlebars and chuckling at all the years of memories associated with the bike. She shifts the handlebars towards Christen, offering for her to take them. “A lot of the parts are from out of the country.” she continues. “Got some from Spain, Italy, Germany… all around. Carbon fiber so she’s pretty light, and you’ll be more speedy that way.” Tobin gives a little wink. “Hydraulic brakes and shifters so she’s a lot more responsive, ya’know, the whole shebang. Go big or go home, I guess.”

As Christen grabs a hold of the sturdy, sunset-colored handlebars, immediately noticing how light the entire bike is. Compared to her chunkey cruiser, Tobin’s bike is a feather. Panic starts flooding in as one of Christen’s “what ifs” pops into her mind. “Tobin, I can’t ride this. What if I break her?” She adopts the bike’s human-like pronoun. She quickly offers the bike back towards Tobin who simply puts her hands up as a sign of rejection. 

“No, Christen. She’s all yours.” Tobin insists, never predicting that such words would ever leave her mouth. “I trust you.”

Christen knows she’s talking about trusting her with the bike, but the way she says it feels like so much more; they hold a certain weight to them. She looks back down at the immaculate piece of mechanics, rereading the words that Tobin must have painted onto the frame herself to cover what would normally be a brand name. “ ‘Alegria’... why alegria?” she asks. 

"Alegria's her name… " Tobin starts to explain, but her soft smile quickly morphs to a charming smirk. “But it's also so I can pick up spanish-speaking chicks.” she jokes. Christen laughs, a wondrous sound that Tobin never wants to go another day without hearing. She abruptly checks her watch, realizing that the two are going to need to rush out the door in order to not miss the race. (Although, Tobin would gladly miss the race now if it meant staying here with Christen a little longer.) 

_Another time…_ she thinks, as a promise to herself. 

~~~

They make it to the start of the race just in time for Christen to sign in, get her number, and get her (technically Tobin’s) bike ready. After stuffing a granola bar into her mouth, she makes her way to the growing crowd of cyclists, all migrating towards the starting line. Christen can’t help but notice the intense-looking racers that surround her, skin tight spandex covered cyclists, fully equipt with mirrors, glossy, rainbow sunglasses, and twiggy bodies. Christen feels sufficiently out of place. _Did Kelley sign me up for the fucking Tour de France or something?_

Christen catches sight of Tobin walking towards her. The effect the woman has on Christen has completely flipped within the last hour, now bringing a wave of comfort with her as opposed to any anxiousness. But the typically chill “Helping Heath” looks the opposite of her normal demeanor, with a tense expression covering her soft facial features. 

“So you got everything? Bike’s all good? You got snacks, water? Do you need more water? I’ll go grab you some more water.” Tobin questions in rapid succession before starting to head to the “Supplies” tent. Christen stops her from rushing off, grabbing onto the mechanic’s arm. Tobin’s concerned eyes look back as the tan woman pulls her back in, their proximity even closer than when they were at the shop. 

“I’m good, Tobin.” Christen assures her. “Thank you again for letting me use your bike. I know it’s probably your baby.” She gives a gentle smile, trying to comfort the stiff-looking woman in front of her. 

Tobin smiles back as her shoulders visibly relax. “She is my baby, but I’m glad you’ll get to experience the thrill of your first metric century with her.”

“Ug, 100 kilometers? I’m definitely nervous as hell… ” she giggles back. 

They stand there together. The chaotic comotion of a bike race surrounds them, but as they gaze at one another again, time freezes. There’s no noise, no frenzied movements, no one else around. 

“Alegria's her name… ” Tobin suddenly repeats, but this time, she takes a different route with her explanation. “Because I’ve yet to experience the same amount of happiness in anything I’ve ever done, than when I’m in the shop, building fancy bikes and fixing little tricycles.” she chuckles wholesomely. “When I started building her, I wasn’t really sure if bicycle mechanics was the way I wanted to go, ya’know? The whole taking over the family business thing was a little daunting. But after I got all the parts and finished building her up, I realized that the whole process, with Algeria in particular, was all I could ever want in life. That’s when I made the decision to take on the bike shop.”

Christen has glossy eyes after hearing this admission, feeling even more honored that Tobin is letting her ride a bike that has played such a pivotal role in the mechanic’s life. She’s about to respond when they hear a roaring megaphone shout, _“The race countdown is startin’ folks!”_ A cheer erupts from the crowd of cyclists as everyone joins the announcer in counting. The only racer not participating is Christen, who’s feeling all sorts of emotions for the honey-eyed woman. 

_“... Five!...”_

Everyone starts mounting their bikes.

_“... Four!...”_

Tobin leans back a little to get out of the way.

_“... Three!...”_

Christen can hear the snapping of bike clips as the cyclists around her lock into their pedals.

_“... Two!...”_

With an impulsive decision, Christen surges towards an unsuspecting Tobin, their lips colliding in a fast, but earth shattering kiss.

_“... One!...”_

Just as quickly, Christen's lips are suddenly gone, leaving a frozen, bewildered Tobin at the deserted starting line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by the stunning Orbea Orca (what i loosely based Tobin’s bike off on), as well as those nike mercs that Tobin customized ;)


	5. "Jack's Coma"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christen doesn’t know how to work a bike, Kelley throws up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Few things: 1. Idk how long this thing’s gonna be but imma just write till i run out of steam haha 2. I figured out how to respond to comments so lemme know what u might wanna see next in this story! 3. There's a hint of kelley/sonnet in here but tbh im not gonna make it a big thing

Christen thinks she might die. She truly believes that this view of other cyclists' butts as they continually pass her will be her last. She's peddling like a mad woman but it feels like there’s not even a chain on the bike as she aimlessly cycles her legs. 

Her body's strong. Kelley definitely wasn't wrong when she had commented that being a yoga instructor for years makes Christen more athletic. 

But this is no downward dog. 

This is an undeniable burning sensation in her lungs and her legs feeling like anchors trying to drag her to the ground. This is 100 kilometers, roughly 62.137 miles, of complete mental and physical suffering for Christen. Despite having one of the lightest, most well equipped bikes of all the other cyclists, she's still feeling the merciless effects of riding her first metric century bike race.

There is one, single aspect that makes this dragging race seem to go by a little faster. Every couple of miles, Christen will see a pair of warm, honey-coated eyes, usually followed by shouts of encouragement and animated fist bumps into the air. Tobin's support throughout the entire hell-of-a-race brings a smile to Christen's face, no matter how lethargic she feels. When she lays eyes on the ecstatic mechanic, the burning in her lungs disappears. Her legs feel free, and the 100 kilometers doesn't seem so intimidating. And all she can think about is the moment they shared before the start of the race, their kiss. If she ignores the overpowering pain signals that her body is sending to her brain, she can still remember the feeling of Tobin’s lips touching hers. How, even though she had caught the mechanic completely off guard, the reaction was quickly reciprocated. Christen believes that she’s cycling this entire race purely off of the adrenaline caused by that one, extraordinary kiss.

~~~

A little past the halfway point and Christen is sure that she's going to be wheelchair-crippled after this race. Through the lactic acid build up in her thighs and the intense cramping of her calves, she wills her legs to keep moving at their insanely fruitless speed. The narrow seat makes her entire lower area sore and she seriously wonders how Tobin, or anyone, could ride this bike. 

"Hey, nice set of wheels!" a blond, sporty racer compliments as she rides next to the burnt out yoga instructor. Christen wasn't expecting anyone to interact with her during this race. Besides having to witness the periodic spandex-cover behinds everytime she looks up, she wasn’t expecting to even make direct eye contact with anyone, let alone start a conversation. 

With barely enough oxygen in her lungs to breath, Christen lets out a short, "Thanks." She looks over at the blond who couldn’t _be_ more relaxed. This racer’s heart rate looks to be a resting 60 bpm and there’s not a single drop of sweat on the woman's forehead. _How the fuck…_

"Is that a custom bike? It looks insanely awesome." the racer continues.

Even the idea of talking makes Christen's shortness of breath worse, so she tries to respond with the least amount of syllables possible. "Yup." she grunts, having no idea how this woman is able to have a full discussion right now.

"Ya'know, I've been watchin' you for a little cause you were in front of me… " the racer speaks again. "And it looks like you're in a super low gear. If you go up a few gears, maybe to a two-eight or somethin’, it might be a lot easier on your bod." 

_What? What is she talking about with gears?_

Christen glances down at the wildly advanced mechanics of her (Tobin’s) bike. In this moment, she’s thankful that the most complicated aspect of her own bike is its little, white bell. "Um, don't know how." she lets out, still breathing heavily. 

Oh so casually, the blond looks over at Christen handlebars, studying the hardware. "Looks like you just hit that shifter on your right." she explains. “Near the brake lever.”

Christen sees the part that this random cyclist is referring to. Even though she’s afraid of breaking the thing, she timidly presses down on the lever. In an instant, the bike smoothly clicks and shifts gear, the effort needed to pedal on lessens tremendously. She clicks it again, and the whole riding experience does in fact become a lot easier. She looks back at the blond in amazement, as the woman just smiles back kindly. 

"So whose bike is that?" the stranger asks.

Christen looks back in confusion at the odd question. With her lungs not burning anymore and actual feeling returning to her legs, she replies, "What do you mean?"

The blond lightly laughs. "It's just… well, no offense, but you were on the lowest gear… and you didn't know how the shifter worked. I mean, it just seems like it's not your actual bike, or at least not a bike you're comfortable riding." she clarifies. 

Luckily Christen's face is already beet red from riding so her blush is somewhat hidden. "You're right. This is actually my friend's bike. She let me borrow it for the race."

"Ah." is the only thing the mystery rider responds with.

They keep pedaling together, watching the distance markers pass. It was nice to have a buddy to ride with, even if very minimal words were exchanged between the two of them. Christen is biking much more efficiently than before now that she's on a higher gear. _Damn you, Tobin Heath_ she thinks to herself, knowing that she's going to tease the other woman about it after the race.

Finally nearing the last five miles, the blond exclaims excitedly, "Hey, home stretch!" 

"Oh thank God." Christen exhales in absolute exhaustion.

The blond chuckles. "I don't think I ever told ya my name." she realizes as she looks over to Christen. "Name's Emily Sonnett." She holds out her hand for a shake while the other stays securely on her handlebars, still riding along. "Most just call me Sonnett."

Christen smiles at the woman's formal action, as if they’re at a business meeting and not in the middle of finishing a 100k bike race. "Nice to meet you." she awkwardly offers her hand for a quick handshake before grabbing her handlebars once again. "I'm Christen Press." They both laugh at the quirky circumstances.

As they keep riding, the finish line finally comes into view. Christen spots Tobin at the endline, gleaming and waving furiously like a little kid. Emily departs with a “Bye! Nice to meet you!” as she goes ahead to meet up with her friends. Christen finally stops pedaling, slowly gliding towards the proud looking mechanic. 

The second she hopes off the bike, Tobin engulfs her in a bone crushing hug. Had she not learned how to change gears mid-race and actually given her lungs the ability to function, this hug would have surely squeezed all the air out of her depleted body. 

"Congrats Christen." Tobin says after the embrace, leaning back to get a good look at Christen’s worn out, but nevertheless beautiful face. She resists all urges to lean down and kiss the sweaty woman. She settles with an affectionate hand on the cheek, feeling the exercise-caused warmth on Christen’s face and seemingly conveying all that she would want to say in that instant. 

With the way Tobin's smiling back so genuinely and the way her strong hand is now softly cradling her face, well… Christen thinks that maybe this entire ordeal was worth it after all.

~~~

After chugging a protein shake Tobin had given her, Christen hungrily rummages through the “Supplies” tent, ignoring the other cyclists as she combs her way through the various snacks. 

Tobin stands with Kelley in disbelief as they watch her from a distance (afraid of becoming casualties in Christen’s slaughtering of post-race foods). 

“It’s like watching a car crash. Terrifying, but I just can’t seem to peel my eyes away.” Kelley comments and Tobin snickers in response. “So I guess now would be a bad time to tell her that she’s gotta pay me back for the race’s entry fee, huh?” 

Tobin firmly nods her head. “Unless you wanna to get mauled…”

“Umm, maybe you should go get your girl.” Kelley suggests, slightly concerned for the other racers that are just trying to get some post-race nutrients. 

“She’s not ‘my girl’, Kel.” Tobin rolls her eyes. “But I _am_ afraid of what she’ll do when they tell her that we’ve run out food, so I’ll see if she wants to go to the diner with us.” 

Whenever a member of the Ashlyn, Kelley, Tobin trio finishes a race, they always celebrate at the same, small sized diner for some good ol’ fashioned comfort food. While Christen is not yet an honorary member of their group, Tobin is still eager to celebrate with the woman.

She approached cautiously, as one would approach an escaped, rampaging gorilla. Christen stuffs a handful of peanuts into her mouth, ignoring the little plastic containers people are supposed to use and Tobin hesitantly grabs her shoulder to gain her attention. She jumps back a little when Christen abruptly whirls around like she’s ready to tear apart anyone trying to stop her from feasting. Her green eyes soften as she sees that it's Tobin, and her hunger-driven craziness subsides. 

Tobin senses this change in demeanor as she explains, “Everyone’s finishing up here, so we’re good to go.” She points her thumb behind her where Christen can see Kelley and now Ashlyn smiling back. 

“Oh, so you guys are leaving?” the tan woman asks, trying to hide her slight disappointment.

Tobin’s palms start to sweat, realizing the question she’s about to ask. _Why are you nervous? You’re just asking her to come with your friends to the diner. It’s not like a date or anything…_

“Um, well we always end up at this cozy little diner down the way after bike races and, uhhh, do you… wanna come with?” she questions, hopeful that Christen will agree to tag along. 

Christen smiles brightly at the proposal, excited at the chance to hangout with Tobin (and for delicious diner food). With a big, fat smile plastered on her face, Christen nods an affirming “yes”. 

~~~ 

Hoping out of their cars, Christen feels surprisingly comfortable with the rowdy group. Of course, she doesn’t miss the not-so-hidden looks Ashlyn and Kelley exchange when Tobin opens the door for Christen to walk in, but it only makes her giggle. Walking into the restaurant with the group, the closest word she can think of to describe how she’s feeling is _safe_. With “Dumb and Dumber” - as Tobin refers to her two best friends - dominating most of the conversation, Christen shares her own glances with the shy mechanic, both blushing and grinning like fools. 

In the moderately crowded diner, the trio of friends immediately beeline towards a corner booth near the windows. An older waitress with wise, kind eyes comes over to take drink orders, her name tag reading “Diane”. Ashlyn and Tobin ask for iced tea, Kelley gets a Mountain Dew (much to everyone’s discouragement), and Christen decides on a strawberry milkshake, reasoning that she deserves a treat after such a punishing bike race. She’s amazed when Diane comes back mere seconds later with all of their drinks, but when she looks over at Tobin in astonishment, the woman just winks back in return, as if saying “impressive, right?”

“This is our special spot, Chris.” Kelley announces as she slides her neon green drink closer. “After any race, from Ash’s first 100 mile-er to the upcoming trek up Mt. Washington for Tobs, we always find a way back to this diner, to this very corner booth.”

“Such a sap…” Tobin mutters with a teasing grin.

“Zip it, Tobs.” the freckled woman grumbles as she blows her straw wrapper at Tobin’s face like a blowdart. And the group laughs together, joyful and carefree. 

“What’re we havin’ here today, ladies?” the waitress asks as she returns to the table. After everybody orders, the only one left is Kelley, who looks as though she’s studying the menu meticulously.

Ashlyn huffs, “Dude, why’re you takin’ so long? Everyone knows that you could list off every item they sell here.”

“Hmmm…” Kelley ignores her tattooed friend’s words, humming in thought as she looks back at the patient waitress. “Um, Mrs. Diane?” she innocently asks in an accentuated southern accent. “Would y'all be able to prepare me… ‘Jack’s Coma’?” Her best friends share mischievous looks with each other as Diane grins widely, nodding and quickly writing it down on her notepad. 

“It’ll take a little while to prepare. We weren’t expecting anyone to take up the challenge today.” the waitress explains. 

Kelley nods with a confident smile. “That’s totally fine.” And the waitress hurries off. 

“So you think today’s the day?” Tobin wonders as she pats the shorter woman on the shoulder.

“Today’s the day.” Kelley confirms.

Christen watches the whole conversation dumbfounded as she asks the group, “Um, what’s ‘Jack’s Coma’? And why is today the day for it?”

“ ‘Jack’s Coma’ is a food challenge the diner offers here.” Ashlyn explains. “If you can finish 100 flapjacks in less than an hour, the rest of your group eats free, you get a t-shirt for free, and they put your picture up.” she points to the wall space next to the front door where only two pictures hang. 

“Yeah, and this maniac has attempted it three times already, but to no avail.” Tobin further explains. “Who knows, though. If today’s the day, then today’s the day.” 

Minutes later (still way sooner than Christen’s used to service being), Diane comes back with everyone’s food except ‘Jack’s Coma’. “Here y’all go.” she says as she puts down all the fresh and steaming dishes of homestyle meals. She looks back at Kelley. “Yours is almost done, hon, but I’ll have you know that you may have a competitor today.” she reports with a glimmer in her aged eyes. 

Kelley’s eyebrows knit together in disbelief. “What? Someone else ordered ‘Jack’s Coma’ too?”

“Yup. That one over there.” She turns a little, pointing at a woman who’s laughing with a group of people. Kelley’s mouth hangs open incredulously. “We’ll probably run out of flapjacks by the end of this!” Diane chuckles, leaving the table. Christen looks at the woman Diane had pointed to, instantly recognizing the blond hair and gleaming smile as her bike race buddy, Emily Sonnett. 

“No fucking way.” Ashlyn utters in astonishment. “What’re the chances?”

The whole friend group stays silent, stuffing their faces and mulling over the new development to the challenge (especially Kelley). Before they know it, the diner joins their silence as everybody watches Diane and a line of other waitresses and cooks carry an enormously tall pile of flapjacks in each of their hands. Silence spills on as another line of staff members do the exact same walk to the other side of the diner, towards Kelley’s competitor. Everyone seems to be holding their breath, watching these two women take on the diner’s challenge at the same time and questioning whether they’re either reckless or brave. 

“You ready, hon?” Diane asks as she holds a small stopwatch in her hand. 

Kelley pours a jug of maple syrup someone had brought out onto the first stack of pancakes, making eye contact with the blond woman across the diner from her. They both seem to silently agree to start the challenge at the same time, securing that this is not only a test of their own abilities, but of the others’. With a deep breath, Kelley nods, grabbing her silverware and furiously cutting the fluffy cakes into bite sized pieces. 

She shovels bite after bite into her mouth, leaving almost no room to breath. Kelley uses the maple syrup to soften the pancakes and make it easier to chew, though she still struggles to digest the sticky, paste-like food as sweat starts to roll down her face. Everybody’s eyes flip back and forth like a tennis match between the two merciless women, wondering who will complete the challenge victoriously and who will fail. While Christen watches in slight disgust, Ashlyn and Tobin are right next to the flushed woman, cheering her on, handing her glasses of water, and wiping her slick forehead with napkins. They had all finished their food already, focusing purely on the feat happening in front of them. 

After an excruciating journey of flapjack after flapjack, Kelley lazily grabs number 100, dousing it in syrup and slowly placing it into her mouth at a much more sluggish speed than when she had started. She chews it slowly, almost afraid to swallow anything more, but with a visibly painful gulp of her throat, Tobin jumps up and yells “DONE! SHE’S DONE!!”. Diane stops the stopwatch and everybody sits at the edge of their seats as the entire diner waits to see if Kelley has finished under the one hour time limit. 

“59.2 minutes” Diane recites in disbelief. 

The group rears up in joy, their table covered by empty, syrup-coated plates (and Kelley, basically passed out with her head resting on the table).

“You did it, Kel! You fucking did it!” Ashlyn shakes the braindead woman in excitement, immediately regretting her actions when Kelley reactively throws up onto her friend’s shirt. Their excitement pauses after this. “Let’s get you to a toilet.” Tobin advises as they all practically carry Kelley’s limp body towards the bathrooms, looking more exhausted than Christen had after her bike race.

They head in the direction of the bathrooms, passing the other challenger’s table and noticing the almost 20 flapjacks left on her plate. The blond woman looks out of it with glossy eyes and a bloated stomach, but not nearly to the extent that the freckled champion is. Kelley, not usually one to gloat (at least not to a complete stranger), lets out an asphyxiated, “How you like them apples?”, along with a grin. The group looks at the competitor, unsure of how she’ll react to Kelley’s taunting words, but the woman just laughs in response. And Kelley starts to lightly chuckle along with her, not realizing how cute the blond woman actually is through her hazy eyes. Ashlyn and Tobin quickly continue their journey into the bathroom while Christen makes the executive decision to wait outside. She knows she’s made the right choice when she hears muffled gagging noises through the bathroom door. She sees Emily Sonnett looking in her direction, a worried expression on her face and Christen gives a small wave to the woman, who returns a wave of her own.

_God, Kelley and Sonnett are both absolutely insane for doing this stupid food challenge. They’re practically made for each other, how ridiculous would it be if those two were a couple_ Christen jokes with herself. Until, she keeps thinking about it and suddenly it doesn't seem so ridiculous. 

~~~

“I can’t believe you did it, Kel.” Tobin says as she flips on the light in the shop. 

“Honestly, I can’t believe it either.” the freckled woman proudly replies, sporting her new shirt that reads “Jack’s Coma Survivor” with a cartoon zombie eating a stack of gooey pancakes. After laying lifelessly on the bathroom floor for an hour or two after the challenge, Kelley looks and feels a lot better. 

The group stopped at the shop later that night, most of them had left their things there since no one was expecting Kelley to take on the diner’s challenge (or to pass out on the diner’s bathroom floor). As they all disperse through the building to gather any belongings, Christen awkwardly stands in the shop. She hadn’t left anything in the store, but she was riding in Tobin’s car and insisted that it was no problem if they made a quick detour. 

With “byes” and “congrats” exchanged throughout the four of them, Christen and Tobin find themselves alone in the shop again. After the hectic events following the race, neither had addressed anything about the kiss they’d shared or the moment they had after the race or the growing feelings they each have towards one another. 

“So you need a ride home?” Tobin asks, fidgeting nervously with her keys.

“No thanks, I actually live fairly close.” the curly haired woman replies. 

“So, you-”

“Ya’know we-”

They laugh at their awkwardness. 

“You go ahead.” Christen insists, reasoning that she’s done her fair share in progressing their relationship.

Tobin takes her time to gather her thoughts, but she decides to stop thinking and just say what her heart wants to say. “So, you kissed me…” Christen nods, not sure how Tobin feels about the impulsive act. “... and I really liked it.” the mechanic states with a blush. 

Christen can’t help but smile like a little school-girl as Tobin continues, “And I want to kiss you again, but…” 

Hearing the dreadful conjunction, Christen’s heart drops to her stomach as she immediately fears the worst. Her brain feels like it might eject itself out of her skull, mentally yelling at herself for possibly ruining this “thing” she has, or had, going with the hazel eyed woman. _God, why’d you have to go and kiss her like that! She’s gonna say that she doesn’t want anything more and that she just wants to be friends and-_

“... I want to take you on a date before I do that.” Tobin finishes with a smirk, knowing damn well what she was doing the whole time. 

All the self doubting thoughts in Christen’s head fly out.

_“Before I do that”? So she’s gonna kiss me again? But only after a date? Wait, she’s asking me on a date?!_

Christen stays silent in shock and Tobin starts to get a little worried that the tan woman in front of her is quiet because she’s thinking of ways to let her down easy. She nervously bites her bottom lip, waiting for Christen to say something. Then suddenly, with the same speed and urgency as when they were at the bike race, Christen plants her lips onto Tobin’s. 

This kiss, while still very heated, is different. Christen’s got her hands on the back of Tobin’s neck and when Tobin’s body finally syncs up with her brain, her strong hands move to Christen’s waist, holding their bodies closer than they’ve ever been before. It lasts longer than their previous one, holding more purpose and power with it. It makes their bodies tingle and their heads spin and Tobin wants to somehow freeze this moment forever. 

Before it becomes anything more, Christen detaches her mouth, giggling lightly as Tobin’s eyes remain closed and her lips still slightly puckered (trying to freeze that moment forever). When honey-colored eyes slowly reveal themselves, all they see is a smirk smeared on Christen's face. “Sorry, I just couldn’t wait any longer.” she whispers slowly. 

Tobin smiles her widest smile as she replies, “I’m really gonna have to take you on a date soon then.”

They gleam at each other, completely smitten as they hold their bodies close, standing in the empty building of “Helping Heath’s Bike Shop”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by the “100 Pancake Challenge” video i watched to study for this chapter. kinda gross, but deserving of at least some respect, id say.


	6. just a weird bike person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kelley is not doing too well, Christen is full, Tobin’s patient.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So idk if u remember but i said that the reason i cut the last couple chapters into two is cause im tryin keep a 4k word limit. Buuuutt we’re just gonna ignore that for this chapter, ya? <3

“But where should I take her, Kel?!” Tobin whines, throwing herself down on the couch next to a slightly bloated Kelley O’Hara. It was the day after the race, the day after Kelley’s victorious triumph at the diner, and Tobin has decided to use her day off to complain about how she has no idea where to take Christen on their first date. 

Kelley, still feeling the lingering effects of eating 100 pancakes in less than an hour, thinks it's particularly funny that she’s found herself in a situation with Tobin that is very much similar to one she’s had with Christen. Patting her inflated belly and letting out a painful sounding belch (Tobin slightly regrets coming to Kelley’s and having to witness this woman’s bodily functions), Kelley comments, “Dude, I don’t know. I mean, hypothetically, I’d take her to the Navy Pier, but I think she’s been there already.” She grins widely at knowing what Tobin doesn’t. “Listen-” she starts, but an unearthly sound from within her throat interrupts her. “-she’s cool ‘nd we’re friends, but… it’s not like we’re _‘best’_ friends. So I’m not really the person you should go to for date ideas, dude.”

Tobin sighs, knowing that her incapacitated friend is right. Rubbing her temples, she tries to think of _something_ fun that the two could do, but she hasn’t been through this whole dating thing in so long, her brain’s drawing a blank. This is a prime reason why she doesn’t frequently date… or go out (besides her excessive commitment to the bike store). The whole idea of first dates confuses Tobin to no end. _The purpose of first dates are for getting to know the other person, but how am I supposed to think of something to do on the first date without knowing the other person?_

“Maybe you should straight up text her and ask. Can’t really go wrong there.” Kelley suggests. “Wait, you did get her number, right?”

“Obviously. I don’t date _that_ much but I’m not dumb.” Tobin sasses back.

“Hey, if you’re gonna give me that attitude, I’m definitely not gonna give you any of my valuable advice.” Kelley shoots back, crossing her arms over her chest. 

But seeing her friend clearly distraught and knowing that Tobin really doesn’t date, Kelley takes pity and starts to think about how to actually help. “Okay, so I may not be the best source of info, but Christen once mentioned to me the name of the person who holds her ‘best friend’ title.” Tobin raises her head with a hopeful look, her interest peaked. “I think her name’s like ‘Julia’... something? Some odd last name… but anyway, I could ask Chris for her number and give it to you… ” Kelley offers with slightly labored breathing. 

“How’re you gonna ask without it sounding weird?” the mechanic wonders, though it does sound like a good idea. 

Kelley begins to laugh, but stops short with a grizzly burp, making Tobin flinch away. “Christen’s learned to not ask questions with me. I repeatedly called her to ask if she had different types of exotic animal meats and she’d just say ‘no’ without any questions.”

Tobin gives a concerned and confused look, to which Kelley innocently puts her hands up and explains, “What? I wanted to spice up my burrito game!” Tobin rolls her eyes, really not surprised at her friend’s weird, food-related excursions. “My point is, I can get you her best friend’s number! She’d definitely have a better idea of where to take Christen on a date.”

“Okay. Thanks, Kel. You’re really the best.” Tobin relaxes more at this new development. 

Kelley leans up a little and pats the woman on the back. “Of course, buddy. Now. If you don’t wanna see my body do something that you definitely won’t be able to _unsee_ , then you should probably skedaddle.” she suggests, gingerly standing from the couch and rushing to the bathroom as fast as her body allows her to.

Tobin’s quick to grab her keys and zoom out the door with a “thanks again!”

~~~

Christen is at a late lunch with Julie when she sees her phone starting ringing, the contact picture of Kelley’s drooling smile while pointing to her “Jack’s Coma Survivor” shirt, shining on the vibrating screen. 

“Oh, is that the one that ate 100 pancakes?” Julie asks, seeing the slightly disturbing picture on her friend’s phone. 

Christen laughs at how casually the words come out. “The one and only.” she says while answering the call. “Kel, I told you. I don’t have any kangaroo, fox, _or_ bison meat.” Julie’s eyebrows pinch in confusion but she chuckles anyway. 

_“That’s not why I’m calling."_ Kelley replies like that's some crazy assumption Christen had formed. _"But I’ll have you know that I was able to procure authentic camel meat from down-unda, in Australia.”_

The curly haired woman just rolls her eyes. "Then to what do I owe this poorly timed call, Ms. Kelley?"

_"Ooo, so formal. I like it."_ she comments and Christen laughs. _"So I was just wondering about your best friend, Juuuulll…?"_

"Julie." Christen finishes her question-type sentence and Julie's eyebrows pop up at hearing her name being called. "Sorry to say Kel, but she's straight… and also married." Julie nods as she hears this because those are both, in fact, true. 

Kelley lets out an accentuated huff and chuckles lightly. _"Ah, straight, married ladies… Chris, how'd you know my type?"_ she jokes. _"Back to the reason behind this… what did you say? ‘Poorly timed call’? Well, I'm probably not supposed to tell you this, but honestly, I think the whole situation's hilarious."_ she prompts. _"Tobin's a helpless puppy and she was whining to me this morning about not knowing where to take you for your date."_

Christen's smile from ear to ear, absolutely tickled at the thought of the hazel eyed woman stressing over where to take her. But she's really a simple girl when it comes to dates.

_"So I said that I'd get her Julie's number cause she's apparently your best friend and she'd probably give better date ideas than me."_ Kelley finishes her explanation, grinning the whole time.

"That’s so adorable. I can totally text you her number in a sec.” Christen dreamily responds. 

_“Thanks, Chris. Well… actually, I guess you should be thanking me since she’s probably gonna take you on a killer date!”_ the enthusiastic woman adds. _“Spill the juicy details laterrrr!”_

Christen giggles. “Got it! Bye Kel!” And she hangs up, heart fluttering at the reality of getting to go on a date with the only mechanic on her mind (and not having to plan it).

“Who’s got you all heart eyes over there? And also, why are you giving my number away to people?” Julie asks with a laugh. 

“ _That_ is another reason why I wanted to meet up with you today…” Christen starts to explain the entire “Helping Heath” ordeal, from meeting Tobin, to her accidental date with Kelley, to the bike race, and, of course, the multiple kisses she’s shared with the mechanic. At the end of her recap, Julie’s jaw has dropped through the trendy-looking coffee table and onto the floor.

“All this happened in the three days you had off?!” the blond asks in astonishment and Christen sheepishly nods, not even trying to hide her grin at this point. Julie’s mind slowly processes all of this new information. “And so the girl you went on a date with, but didn’t know it was a date, wants to give _my_ number to _your_ little mechanic lady so that _I’ll_ tell her where to take _you_ on a date?” she slowly collects. And Christen can only giggle and nod again. 

“The power is really in your hands, Jules. Don’t tell Tobin to take me on some lame date!” Christen mockingly chastises, knowing that Julie would never. 

As Julie absorbs all the details of Christen’s last few days, she teases, “Don’t worry, I’ll give some good suggestions. I mean, you love a good country concert, right?” Her green eyed friend wrinkles her nose in disgusts, having frequently and passionately expressed her dislike of country music. “Oh, how about a water park! I just _know_ how much you love to get that hair wet.” Julie continues, laughing at her sarcasm. 

“Okay, okay. But if you actually suggest anything like that, I’m gonna schedule you to all the yoga classes with gross, sweaty dudes.” Christen lightly threatens with a laugh.

After they’ve both calmed down from the batter, they smile at one another. “I’m glad you’re so happy, Chris.” Julie sincerely says. 

Christen smiles, her heart warming at her friend’s wholesome statement. “Thank you.” she replies, practically bursting at the seams. 

~~~

**[Unknown Number]:**

**_hey this is tobin i hope my friend didn’t give me a fake number and this is actually reaching julie im not sure how much u know but i asked christen out on a date but im not sure where she’d like to go would u happen to have any suggestions thanks!!_ **

**_and if this isn’t Julie please disregard_ **

Just finishing some paperwork for the studio (that’s very close to opening), Julie smiles down at her phone as she reads the texts. Two thoughts spring to her mind: 1) _This woman is sooo whipped…_ and 2) _Christen is just as whipped if she can ignore how bad this woman texts_

**[Julie (Christen’s Best Friend)?]:**

**_Yup this is Julie! I’ve heard so much about you! You’ve definitely become one of Christen’s favorite topics to talk about lol._ **

Tobin blushes when she reads that part. 

**_As for date ideas, I think the biggest thing is to not overthink it. She’s more of a “who” kind of gal than a “what” kind if that makes sense. So as long as you guys aren't doing anything inherently dangerous, the only thing that matters to her is getting to know you and spend time w you._ **

When Tobin reads this, she sighs, shaking her head. _Well that gave me no ideas._

… Until later that night, when she shoots out of bed with the _perfect_ idea. 

~~~

**[Helping Heath]:**

**_so for our date hows tomorrow at like 5 work_ **

Christen reads the text, blushing slightly at the dorky mechanic and trying, once again, to look past the repulsive lack of basic punctuation.

**[Christen <3]:**

**_That sounds fantastic. I’m glad you were able to come up with an idea haha!_ **

**[“Helping Heath”]:**

**_haha ya julie was a big help she seems super cool_ **

**_just text me ur address and ill come by and pick u up :)_ **

**[Christen <3]:**

**_I can’t wait!!_ **

**_< 3_ **

“Hey dork, stop grinning at your phone like a fool and get back to work!” Kelley shouts from the shop. Tobin makes a face at her friend, pocketing her phone and trying to hide just how excited she truly is.

~~~

**[Christen <3]:**

**_May I get a hint as to what our date will consist of so that I know what to wear? Please, please, please?_ **

**[“Helping Heath”]:**

**_hmmm ur not gonna get anything out of me! but id say wear somethin ud be comfortable walkin in_ **

**[Christen <3]:**

**_No help, Heath…_ **

**_See you at 5!_ **

Staring at her closet, Christen really has no idea what to wear. _“Something I’d be comfortable walking in”? What the hell is that supposed to mean?_

After almost three hours of wanting to burn her entire closet down and regretting every clothing purchase she’s ever made, Christen finally stands in front of her mirror with an outfit she’s “comfortable walkin’ in”. She settled on a pair of skinny black jeans, a tight gray t-shirt, her favorite Levi’s sherpa trucker jacket, and the classic black Doc Martens. With a quick fix of her hair and some light makeup, Christen feels ready for whatever mysterious events this date could bring. She (not-so-calmly) waits for any sign of Tobin’s arrival, frantically fixing and refixing her throw pillows and obsessively wiping down her counters when she spots a microscopic dust particle. Her phone dings and she flies across her couch to see:

**[“Helping Heath”]:**

**_here! come on down :)))_ **

Christen grabs her leather cross-body bag and sprints down the stairs, only slowing at the last couple of steps to smooth her hair and act like she didn't sprint down the stairs. She smiles a big, goofy smile when she sees the mechanic through the glass door, her own wide smile plastered on her face and a small bouquet of pink tulips clutched in her hand. As Christen opens the door and steps outside, the two simply gaze at each other (something that seems to be a very comfortable recurrence between them). 

“I thought I’d go a little old school, so… um, here’s some flowers.” Tobin shyly says as she offers the flowers. 

Christen goes to smell them, realizing they just smell like grass, but loving the sentiment nonetheless. “Thank you Tobin, this is very adorable.” She nervously bites her bottom lip as she says, “I should probably go back up and put them in water then…”

The smile on Tobin only grows. “You won’t need to do that as I present to you…” She turns a little, opening her arms to display the big reveal. “... our ride for this evening!” 

There, in the middle of the sidewalk, propped up on a tree, is a charming salmon colored tandem bike, two black leather seats shining in the fading sunlight and a small, plastic vase attached to the front. Christen’s speechless and Tobin quickly worries that her plan was a flop. “I mean, if it's not your thing, we can totally just walk around. I just thought… Maybe it’d be… I don't know, I’m just a weird bike person, I gue-” Tobin’s rambling gets cut off with a quick peck from the other woman. 

“Tobin, I love it. I love this idea.” she reassures. “And just so you know, you happen to be my _favorite_ ‘weird bike person’ ever.”

Tobin’s smile returns in full force, at the kiss and at the satisfaction that her idea didn’t suck. She practically leaps over to the bike, taking back the tulips and placing them in the water-filled holder. “M’Lady…” she grins, gesturing to the seats. “The choice is yours: front of back?”

Christen taps her chin, as if she’s deep in thought about this very critical decision. “Well, because this is your date and I don’t know where we’re going, how about you steer in the front.” Tobin nods, finding her reasoning logical. “Plus, I heard that the back person doesn’t have to do any of the work!” she adds as she hops onto the back seat. 

With a roll of her eyes, Tobin gets situated onto the front seat and grabs a hold of the handlebars. “Alrighty, let's get kickin’!”

~~~

It feels as though they’re pedalling aimlessly through the city, the busy nightlife forcing them to travel at a very leisurely pace. 

But Christen couldn’t complain. Not when she has a perfect view of both Tobin’s flexing back when she pedals forward and the occasional hint of her wide smile when she turns her head back. Not when she gets to explore more of the city that she's starting to feel comfortable calling "home". And not when she’s very happy with her seat of choice, noticing how much easier pedaling is for her compared to the woman in front. 

They slow to a stop after what seems like longer than the bike race she’d had to endure previously. They both hop off their seats and Tobin crouches down to securely lock the tandem bike onto a lone rack. With some awkward movements and determination, Tobin lets out a slightly winded cheer of success. Christen has a smile of amusement on her face as Tobin stands up and swiftly wipes her sweaty hands on her pants. 

“What?” Tobin asks when she makes eye contact with the grinning woman. “Got somethin’ on my face?”

Christen lets out a chuckle. “You’re just too damn cute.” 

Tobin blushes and returns a pearly grin, happy that this date is already going so well. “Speak for yourself…” she winks. “So I didn’t know what kind of food you’d like, but I realized that if you didn't like my go-to choice of tacos, that could be a red flag anyway.” she quips. “The place is a little bit of a walk down, but I just wanted to make sure the ol’ tandem had a place to rack.”

“I’ll have you know that tacos are 100% my go-to food of choice.” Christen states, hooking arms with Tobin as they make their way down the sidewalk. 

They make conversation now that they don’t have a business exchange to complete or a bike race to get to. The talking only pauses when Christen sees something interesting on their walk, whether it be a window display or a street performer and Tobin finds it completely adorable every time her date excitedly rushes to something new. 

“So. Not only do you fix bikes, sell bikes, AND run a successful business out of it, but you also have a crazy-fancy racing bike that you ride as well?” Christen asks, wanting to know how much of Tobin’s life is actually dedicated to all things bicycle-related. 

“Yeah, I really wasn’t joking when I said I’m a ‘weird bike person’.” Tobin admits. “I was always riding from a young age ‘cause my dad was runnin the shop and I guess I just… never stopped.” she chuckles a little because her explanation was really _that_ simple. 

Christen moves her arm down, connecting her hand with Tobin’s and wondering how she’s become so comfortable with this other woman so quickly. “And you still do races and stuff? Kelley mentioned that you had something coming up...”

“Yeah, I have a climb soon in New Hampshire goin up Mt. Washington. I think it's like seven and a half miles and it's up this really steep mountain.” the mechanic clarifies. 

“And it’s… fun?” Christen asks, not with judgement but simply disbelief. “I barely survived a _flat_ bike race. I couldn’t even imagine having to go up mountains!”

Tobin laughs at Christen’s cute commentary. “Yeah… I don’t know. It’s like, some people burn out after a race and some just get the bug and keep doin’ them.” she tries to explain. “I guess I got the bug. To me, like, there’s not really a finish line, if that makes sense. Like, it’s that never ending ascension. There’s always one more race, one more way to test what my body and my mind can endure. I don’t know, it’s kinda addicting you could say.”

Christen knows right then and there that she’s completely head over heels for this woman. She’s always loved hearing people talk about their passions, but the way Tobin describes this remarkable aspect of life only reveals how much heart she truly has. Needless to say, Christen’s 100% smitten and she’s 100% okay with it. 

“But enough about me…” Tobin segues, never one to talk about herself too much. “I heard from Kelley that you are, and I quote, a ‘yoga master’?” she asks with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. 

“I wouldn’t say I’m a yoga _master_ , but I do partake in yoga. It’s why I moved out here. Julie and I are starting a little yoga studio in town.” Christen explains. “And we’re actually pretty close to finishing all the boring, business-y part of the business, so we’ll get to officially open… hopefully soon?”

Tobin grins as she questions, “And you got classes for anyone and everyone, I presume? All ages and all levels of fitness?”

“Totally! We’re gonna have beginner classes, more advanced classes, maybe even some specialized class for sports teams if we wanna try and go that route… ” the curly-haired woman rambles excitedly. 

“So, maybe, a certain bike mechanic could find a class that fits?” Tobin continues, getting to the real point behind her questions.

Christen grins widely, picking up on what’s being hinted at. “Hmmm, we could probably find a class for a certain bike mechanic.” She lightly squeezes their clasped hands as they share teasing eyes and tender smiles.

~~~

Making their way into the restaurant, Christen can already tell that she’ll like whatever they get, the smells of fresh ingredients filling her nose and collecting in her empty stomach. 

Tobin’s anxiousness picks up a bit as she quickly rambles, “So I know it’s not, like, a fancy or a super romantic place or anything aaannd it’s kinda small… but I just love eating here and-”

“It’s fantastic Tobin.” Christen interrupts again, resulting in a wide grin from the, now slightly-less anxious mechanic. “Seriously, everything’s been perfect. Stop doubting yourself, missy.” she smiles, rubbing Tobin’s back comfortingly.

They sit near the back wall, wordlessly deciding that the mild privacy would be appreciated as they stay in their own little world. Tobin hasn’t even peaked at the menu when the server initially comes for their drink orders and, before Christen says a word, Tobin starts listing off a number of items from memory. The employee is diligent in recording the abundance of food the woman’s ordering, not missing a beat.

Tobin finishes with a “thank you” as she sees the shocked look on Christen’s face. “Tobin, you just ordered like fifteen tacos!”

The mechanic just shrugs. “The tacos here are the best. And I want you to have a lot of options if there’s one you don’t like.” she explains, not so much in a nervous way, but expressing her confidence in the excellence of the food she had ordered. Christen shakes her head, wondering how they’ll be able to finish fifteen tacos. As if reading her mind, Tobin adds, “I can eat A LOT of tacos. When Kelley and I come here, we basically drain this place of all their food.” Christen laughs with complete understanding, having seen first hand how much food their freckled friend is able to consume. 

After more of getting-to-know-yous (it wasn’t a _complete_ accident that Tobin ordered a feast that takes a little longer to prepare), multiple servers come out of the back, tacos in tow. With the numerous platefuls of food placed before them, covering the entire surface of their table, a safe atmosphere continues to encompass the two women. Christen had felt this the other day at the diner, surrounded by the joyful energy of her new friends. But this feels different. She feels safe but also vulnerable at the same time in the presence of this goofy bicycle mechanic. She feels like she could bare her entire soul, confess all her regrets, and let any skeletons out the closet without shame. Luckily for her, Tobin feels the exact same way. 

“So why is it that _the_ “Helping Heath” is wandering the streets as a single woman?” Christen teases as she starts on her second taco.

Tobin laughs, finishing her fourth taco and eagerly picking up another. “I’m really never gonna escape that, am I?” she chuckles. 

“Well it’s the name of _your_ store so you’re kinda asking for it…” Christen comments. 

The mechanic tries to give a scolding look at the woman, but the smile creeping its way onto her face easily gives her away. “My dad chose the name when he opened the shop, he's always been a bit of a goof. I thought it was a little corny, but by the time I took over the shop, everyone knew the name so I couldn’t really do much about it.” Tobin clarifies. “Now that we’re sponsoring more events ‘nd stuff though, I’ve been considering maybe changing it to something cooler.”

“What? No!” Christen quickly protests. “The name _is_ a little corny, but that doesn’t mean it’s not cool. _I_ like the name, everyone else likes the name, so you gotta keep the name.”

“You like the name, huh?” Tobin smirks, hazel eyes challenging the green eyes of the woman across from her. 

Christen gives a small shake of her head at how Tobin had picked what she wanted to hear out of her sentence, but totally gives in to the bait. “I do like the name and I like the woman behind the name just as much.” she states with a wholehearted smile. 

Tobin beams back. “I like you too.” 

With a full heart (and a gradually filling stomach), Tobin decides that the store's name, no matter how cringy it is, will definitely be staying. 

~~~

Three tacos remain, Christen sufficiently stuffed with the five she was able to get down and Tobin looking pleasantly content with the seven tacos she comfortably ate. They’re both quiet, conversation having gradually died down after their fourth tacos. Eyes flicker from the remaining food to each other, silentling questioning what will become of the leftovers. 

Christen emphasizes her current mood with a couple pats of her stuffed belly. Laughing at the dramatics, Tobin asks, “I’m guessing that’s a tap out?” Christen just nods in response, seemingly too full to complete a sentence. “Alright, let’s try to get up and get digesting. I’ll take the rest to Kelley tomorrow or somethin’.” She waves down the server and gets the check as well as a to-go box. 

Tobin finds herself grateful that Christen’s too out of it to potentially argue about paying the check. The only thing the woman says when Tobin gets her credit card back is, “I got the next one, Heath.”

_“The next one”_

Tobin likes the sound of that. 

~~~

They walk around the streets after leaving the restaurant, hand in hand, talking about anything and everything. They learn about each other's families and friends, their dreams, their happiest moments, their regrets and everything in between. 

“So I don’t think you ever answered my question earlier.” Christen prompts and Tobin looks at her quizzically. “How is it possible that you’re single?”

Tobin shyly looks down at their walking feet, not sure how to answer the question. In their recent hours of conversation, they had touched on previous relationships, but the topic quickly blew over in lieu of Tobin’s relative _lack_ of relationships to recount. “I don’t know, never really had the time to go out on dates and stuff I guess.” she tries to put simply, but knows that her curly haired date won’t let her leave it at that. “I’m just always doing stuff for the shop. I mean, I’m there to open, I work through breaks, and then I close up when I want to, which is usually later than official hours.”

While this commitment to work may have been a deal breaker for any other person, the only thing Christen gets out of this explanation is the fact that she was able to get a date with the mechanic in the first place. And she points that out, if only to see Tobin squirm. “But you had time to go on this date with little ol’ me, huh?” she teases.

“Well, I guess I made time.” Tobin replies smoothly and the surprising swag in the response makes Christen giggle and as she tightens her grip on their clasped hands. 

~~~

By the time their stomachs have fully digested, they know things about each other that no one else knows, not Julie, not Kelley. But much to their dismay, the darkened streets and lack of other people around tell them that the night’s closing to an end. 

When they get to Christen’s apartment (after a much slower bike ride back), it’s nearly midnight. Neither had a clue how late it was, their energy levels still running high from the mere presence of each other. 

They get off the trusty tandem chariot and Tobin leans it back onto the tree outside of the apartment, grabbing the tulips from their plastic vase and handing them back to Christen with a smile. She awkwardly shoves her hands in her front pockets now that she doesn’t have a set of handlebars or a taco to occupy her. They walk up to the steps of the front door as Christen turns to face those nervous hazel eyes. 

“Tobin, you have no idea how much fun I had tonight.” she says with a loving smile. She reaches for Tobin’s busy-hands, releasing them from the confines of her pockets to hold them in front of her. "I'd say with confidence that it was worth at least one 100 kilometer bike race."

Tobin chuckles, looking down at their clasped hands with a swelling heart and looking back up into the eyes of the customer she’s grown so fond of in such a short amount of time. “I’m glad. I was a little nervous about where to take you. It’s been a while since I’ve, uh done this.”

“Well it seems like you’ve still got it.” Christen teases, lightly poking the woman in the rib with their hands still conjoined. They chuckle together like infatuated teenagers, both wanting this night to never end. But they know it has to. They know that reality will rise with the sun and they’ll both have to go back to work the next morning. 

Tobin decides to try and act as adult as possible to call it a night. “So I guess I should let you get some sleep, Mrs 'starting-a-new-yoga-business-lady'.” Christen laughs and nods reluctantly, knowing that as much as she wants to drag on the night with the mechanic, the smart thing to do would be to get some rest since she’ll have to be back to work in less than six hours. “When’s the next time I can see you?”

“Hmmm, I guess if I have any other bike issues, ‘Helping Heath’.” she jokes. “I’m not sure how much I’ll be working because we’re in the final stages of starting this studio, buuuuut… how about I call you tomorrow?”

“Just let me know.” Tobin smiles brightly, already itching with excitement at the prospect of hearing from the green-eyed woman so soon. “Aaaand, I think there was something I wanted to do after taking you on an official date…” she trails off with a glimmer in her eyes. 

Christen giggles at the reminder as Tobin lets go of their hands, slowly bringing them up to cup Christen’s face and rubbing the pads of her thumbs across the soft cheek bones. They slowly lean in, connecting their lips in a kiss that’s so soft, Christen wouldn’t have known it was happening if her heart wasn’t beating out of her chest. She brings her hands and loosely places them on Tobin's hips, flowers still grasped. After a couple seconds, Tobin pulls back, but quickly gives another peck. _I could seriously get used to this..._

“Tomorrow?” the mechanic double-checks.

“I’ll call tomorrow.” Christen confirms.

Tobin nods almost dumbly, head still spinning and heart still thumping. With a wink and a final peck, Christen reluctantly lets go of Tobin’s hips and heads back towards her apartment door. 

“Bye, Tobs.” She gives a cute little wave and walks into the building. 

Just like at the bike race, Tobin is left standing in the middle of the path, completely starstruck by the emerald-eyed woman. When she's able to bring herself back from her Christen-induced trance, she quickly fishes out her phone, making sure the ringer is on and at full volume for the awaited call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by Labrinth seriously that guy’s a frikin music god, if u havent fallen into a rabbit hole of Lab’s music id highly suggest it (top songs to take a lil listen to: "when i r.i.p." and "dotted line/juju man" and "mount Everest")


	7. Wah-Hoo-Wah!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin drinks iced tea, Sonnett is a proud alum, Ashlyn plays matchmaker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im once again going back on my words….cause theres a little bit of Kelley/Sonnett plot in here hehe (also ignoring my initial 4k work limit again…) 
> 
> And i realized that i accidentally had asks and messages on tumblr turned off cause im so stupid when it comes to technology, but now they're flipped on! Qs, comments, observations of the world r welcomed :)

Tobin is floating on cloud nine when she walks into the shop the next day. Despite it being cold and overcast in the city, her mood is the complete opposite of the miserable weather conditions. 

After going back to her apartment the night before, her brain still on overdrive from her date with Christen, she texted the “Ride or Die” group chat (consisting of herself, Ashlyn, and Kelley), to let them know that she’d be coming into the shop later than usual. This led to an incessant string of responses from her two best friends as they bombarded her with questions and observations, repeatedly reminding the mechanic that she’s only taken two days off in her years of owning and working in the shop. She had to emphasize her point that she’s still coming in, just… later. When asked why, Tobin settled with a short _“Just wanna sleep in a little”_ and not the entire truth of _“Just wanna sleep in a little… because my brain can’t stop thinking of Christen and the date and the kisses and the dreaminess of it all”_. 

While she’d normally head to the store and dive right into her email inbox, checking what needs to be done and what repairs she has lined up for the rest of the week, her cheerful mood had led her to pick up fresh donuts on her way to the shop, so instead, she ventures into the staff room to drop the breakfast desserts off. Before even setting the box onto the table, Kelley (having been the first one in the store because Tobin didn’t open up today) races into the room and rips the box open. 

Tobin jumps back in surprise. “Kel! How’d you even know I was in yet?”

With almost an entire frosted donut stuffed into her mouth, Kelley manges to reply, “Auh shmallded da duhnottss.” The confused expression on Tobin’s face remains until the shorter woman successfully swallows the pastry, repeating, “I smelled the donuts.” to which Tobin just shakes her head in disbelief at her best friend’s craziness. 

Ashlyn walks in soon after, her eyes lighting up when she sees the familiar pink box of their favorite donut shop in town. “Ugh, Tobs have I even told you how great you are?” she questions rhetorically while grabbing a bear claw, the pastry still radiating its freshly-baked warmth. 

“No, but it's always nice to hear.” Tobin quips back with that same joyful smile she found herself wearing since the moment she woke up. 

“God, if you’re gonna be this holly-jolly, bringin in donuts and being all happy and shit when you sleep in, lemme tell ya, I’ll come open up shop every- _damn_ -day.” Kelley declares, playfully wiggling Tobin’s snapback with one hand and continuing to stuff her face with the other. 

Tobin weakly tries to swipe Kelley’s hand away, but her grin remains plastered on her face. “Close your mouth when you eat, dude. Frickin gross…”

“Shut up Tobs! We’ve both seen Kel do things that we won’t ever be able to erase from our minds. Stop tryna change the subject from your date with little miss _Christen_.” Ashlyn sing-songs with a raised eyebrow. 

“AH! She’s blushing! She’s blushing!!” Kelley yells as she starts jumping up and down, pointing at the mechanic’s face which is, in fact, sporting a light red hue. 

With smiles on all of their faces now, Tobin puts up her hands in a show of surrender. “Okay, okay, I give.” she relents, her two best friends now looking back back at her with wide eyes of anticipation. Tobin slowly grabs a donut and takes a bite at an exaggeratedly lagging speed, deliberately testing her friends’ patience until she chews, swallows, and finally reveals, “The date was _really_ great.”

Kelley almost smacks the pastry right out of her friend’s hand. “C’mon Tobs!!”

“Okay! It was really great and Christen’s really great and I’m waiting for her to call and see when we can hangout again.” Tobin spits out, too excited to really hold in the information much longer anyway. 

“So the whole tandem bike thing really worked out, huh? When I saw you pullin that hunk of metal out from the front, I wasn’t sure what Christen would think. But then again, I knew she had to be pretty chill after spaz over here roped her into doing a fucking century race and she actually did it.” their tattooed friend remarks with a laugh while Kelley just scoffs in response. 

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure either, but she was actually really cool about it. We got some tacos from the usual spot - Kel, by the way, I snuck in and put the leftovers in your fridge this morning - and we ended the night on, uh, a nice note.” Tobin recalls, growing a little more shy at the memory of how _nice_ of a note the two had ended on. 

Ashlyn and Kelley share a look, knowing exactly what sort of note their friend was referring to. 

And knowing that they know, Tobin’s quick to wipe her donut-y hands on her pants and change the subject to something else. “So what’s on the agenda today?” she asks, walking out of the staff room and into the back shop. While “Dumb and Dumber” definately plan on bagering Tobin on the specifics of the date later, they ease up and decide to get back to business.

“Well there’s some old frames in the back that need fixing for resell.” Ashlyn begins to recite the to-do list, usually being the one out of the three friends to handle the business and sales aspect of the store. “Tobs, you got that paint job that needs to get done in a couple weeks and a group of college kids came in asking for the toughest helmets we sell, so… I don’t know, I didn’t ask questions, I just ordered them and they should be coming in today.”

Tobin, now with gloves on, starts pulling out rusty bike parts and hums in response. But Ashlyn swings back to Kelley with a mischievous smirk as she adds, “And Kel… a certain pancake-eating, cyclist contacted me asking if they’re any job positions available and I thought, ‘Huh, who better to interview a potential employee than our very _own_ pancake-eating cyclist?’.”

The freckled woman perks up at hearing this, eyes wide. “The pancake-eating cyclist that attempted ‘Jack’s Coma’ the other day?” she questions, her interest greatly peaked and almost fearing the answer that she anticipates is coming. 

“No, the _other_ pancake-eating cyclist we encountered- yes dumbass, the one at the diner.” Ashlyn retorts with intense sarcasm and an Oscar worthy eye roll. “I told her to come in a little after noon to chat with you, so… have fun with that.” she says with a wink, noticing how Kelley’s seem to have frozen in place hearing this information. 

Kelley looks over at Tobin with her mouth agape, wanting to get her opinion on this arrangement Ashlyn’s made, but doesn’t bother when she sees her friend’s already working on a frame with earbuds in. 

The shorter woman can’t compute, as the only words that can come out of her slack jaw are, “What the ff…”

~~~

“... fffucking hell!” Christen exhales, her stress levels climbing as she brings her hands to her distressed face. The tan woman’s morning had started similar to Tobin’s, feeling as though she could jump through hoops despite the limited amount of sleep she’d gotten. All she wanted to do when she woke up was call the mechanic and find some way to spend more time together. But she knew that she needed to prioritize the weekday to keep making progress on the developing business. The team had made a tremendous amount of progress since the start of this project and the only task left is finishing up the physical aspects of the studio itself. 

A task that Christen assumed would be easy enough.

A task that Christen found out to be one of the most frustrating endeavours she’s had to go through. From the mirrors they ordered being the wrong size to their constantly grouchy interior designer, Christen is about ready to rip her hair out. Her current mood reminds her of the day of the infamous bike crash she’d had no too long ago, but she knows a little ride on her cruiser isn’t going to help clear her mind today. 

She’s desperate for an escape, and in her desperation she finds herself hitting send on a text to the one person that’s been on her mind for the last 24 (or more realistically 200) hours.

**[Christen <3]:**

**_Whatcha doing?_ **

She tries to sound casual, hoping that the text will catch Tobin at a free moment in between fixes and repairs. 

When Tobin hears the pitchy ding of her phone, alerting her of a new message, she plans to go about following her usual procedure of ignoring it until she absolutely can’t. But this time, her habit is quickly derailed when she remembers Christen’s promise from last night. (It’s no call, but Tobin’s hopes are high). She’s definitely not disappointed when she sees that her typically obnoxious device does in fact display Christen’s name. And with a climbing heart rate, she speedily taps the screen to view the message. She smiles as she types back:

**[“Helping Heath”]:**

**_workin at the shop, wbu_ **

Tobin doesn’t have to wait long as she gets a response in mere seconds. 

**[Christen <3]:**

**_Drowning in stress :(_ **

**_If I get one more call from our designer about how the shade of lavender I picked isn’t going to match the indoor plants, I swear…_ **

**[“Helping Heath”]:**

**_im sorry chris :(((( if it makes u feel any better we had all hands on deck this mornin tryin to unpack a crazy amount of helmets for some sus college dudes idk what theyre gonna do w them but im not gonna ask..._ **

**[Christen <3]:**

**_Hahaha that does sound like a pain. I’m really okay. These four studio walls are turning me clinically insane though lol._ **

While Tobin can’t really relate, happy to stay in the confines of the shop for days at a time, she does understand the need to get away from time to time. She _should_ be getting ahead on painting that new design and figuring out how to fit the abundance of empty helmet boxes into the recycling dumpster, buuut… 

**[“Helping Heath”]:**

**_u wanna come hang at the shop w me? Ash just dropped off some sandwiches from the deli for lunch so u could eat then head back after uve had time to relax a bit_ **

Tobin nervously bites her nail, almost regretting sending the text after debating whether she sounded too needy or eager. But all of her worries melt away when Christen responds back:

**[Christen <3]:**

**_That sounds amazing!! Are you sure I won’t be in the way, though? I don’t want to be a bother if you’re trying to work._ **

**[“Helping Heath”]:**

**_ur never a bother, chris. aaand i definitely see a blt w ur name on it!_ **

Christen grabs her things and is out the door in an instant, excitement hitting the ground with every step she takes. 

**[Christen <3]:**

**_Thank you! I’ll walk over now!_ **

**_< 3_ **

Tobin practically shoots into space at getting to hangout with Christen so soon. She pockets her phone, shuts off the work lamp, and heads in the direction of the large sandwich platter. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Ashlyn walks towards her lounging friend and grabs a seat next to her. “Are you actually _voluntarily_ taking a lunch break to, gasp… eat lunch?!” she dramatically asks, making a show out of the whole situation as she places a hand over her chest. 

Tobin rolls her eyes. “Why’re acting like I don’t take my lunch break, Ash? You know I do. The empty pizza boxes and food containers in the trash are evidence, yea?”

“Umm, your definition of taking a ‘lunch break’ is using one hand to stuff food in your mouth while simultaneously using the other to keep working. I’ve been tellin you for years bro, that ain’t no break.” Ashlyn rebudles, leaning back to prop her feet onto the shop counter and giving a “you know I’m right” type of look.

“Alright, calm down Ash. And by the way, Chris is coming over soon cause I told her about how crazy you went with the sandwiches today.” Tobin tries to nonchalantly add. 

With an arched eyebrow, Ashlyn retorts, “Oh she’s coming for the _sandwiches_? Riiiightt…”.

On cue, Christen shyly peaks in from the back door, offering a cute little knock on the door frame to announce her presence. “Hey guys” she says softly as she makes her way into the shop. “Thanks again for letting me crash your lunch break.”

“Hey, I meant it when I said you’re never a bother.” Tobin gleams in response, monarch butterflies soaring in her stomach. _God, I will never get used to looking into those eyes…_

Just as Christen goes to grab a stool from across the room, Ashlyn abruptly stands up. “Well, it’s been a nice break and all, but bike orders wait for no woman, so imma get back to work.” Ashlyn declares despite the fact that she’d just sat down (both Tobin and herself know that she’s really just going to head to the staff room and call Ali for the hundredth time that day). “Chris, why don’t you take my seat.” she offers, gesturing to the empty chair as if it’s some kind of luxury car she’s just won. 

“Well thank you.” Christen giggles as she takes a seat. 

Usually Tobin would want to continue hanging out with her blond best friend, but at this moment, she’s happy to let Ashlyn leave.

With a smirk, Ashlyn adds, “Hope you like the sandwiches, Chris. Have fun little love birds…” and she exits the shop, no regrets to her words when red blushes creep onto Tobin and Christens’ faces. 

The two sit there with an underlying sense of excitement, both almost avoiding direct eye contact like two crushing teens. With a confident breath, Christen reaches for a sandwich and decides to make the most out of the unexpected time she has with Tobin. “Are you sure I’m not interrupting you or anything? I just don’t wanna wreck your work flow or any projects and-”

“Chris, you’re fine.” Tobin interrupts. “I swear. It’s our lunch break so we’re all just chillin’ anyway.”

Content with the reassurance, Christen smirks as she comments, “Well you told me last night that you work through your breaks, but I guess you just keep making time for me, huh?” 

Tobin sheepishly looks down at the half eaten sandwich in her hands at being called out. “Yea, usually I work through my break, so I guess I _am_ making time to hangout with you.”

They smile at each other, both pleased with the conclusion they’ve come to. 

“So what’s a work day look like for you?” Christen asks. “I wanna know the insider secrets to how ‘Helping Heath’s Bicycle Shop’ operates.”

Tobin finishes off her sandwich with a grin and sips some of her iced tea from a paper to-go cup. “Well, honestly it’s kinda like groundhog day unless we have a race or event.” she admits with a laugh. “I’m always in the back workin’ on a repair or a paint job, Ashlyn usually posts up front and handles customers, and Kelley just kinda drifts between the two. Although, I think today she gets the pleasure of interviewing a possible new employee. They think I’m not listening when I put in earbuds but half the time I’m not even playing anything.” 

Christen laughs and playfully asks, “So the cozy shop of ‘Helping Heath’s’ is expanding a bit?”

“A little. We’re sponsoring more races, so it’ll be nice to get another pair of hands.” Tobin explains. “And get this. It’s the blond from the diner! The one that did Jack’s Coma at the same time as Kel!”

“No way, Emily Sonnett?” Christen quickly questions. 

Tobin looks back, wondering how Christen could know the specific name of this specific woman. “Uh, yea. I think that’s her name. How’d you know?”

_What’re the chances?_ “She rode with me during the race! We were kinda like bike buddies.” Christen clarifies, then remembers something she’s been meaning to bring up. “And she showed me how to change gears cause _you_ never showed me how to do that!” She lightly swats Tobin’s shoulder. “I guess I was on a low ‘gear’ or something and my legs were just spinning like crazy for half of the race!”

Now Tobin’s cracking up at remembering that she had in fact set the bike on the lowest gear when tuning it up for Christen. She tries to respond while calming down from her fit of laughter. “I’m- I’m sorry…. I just thought-” Christen throws some leftover tomato slices at Tobin’s face like she’s mad, but she can’t possibly be mad when she hears the cheerful sounds of the mechanic’s laughter. 

When a tomato collides into her check with a squishy slap, Tobin’s calmed down enough to peel the piece off and throw it in her mouth. “Okay, I’m sorry. I thought you knew how to change gears, I really did.” she finally gets out. 

Knowing the sincerity behind Tobin’s words and not actually being that mad in the first place, Christen smiles with a confirming nod. “I guess I accept your apology.” she jokes. “But that’s funny how she wants to work here. I think she’d get along great with you guys, especially Kelley.”

“Huh, I guess. I mean, they’re both crazy enough to try and eat 100 pancakes in under an hour so…” The mechanic trails off while she slurps up the remaining drops of iced tea, standing to throw it away. “Want me to take your trash?”

“Yes, thank you.” Christen smiles, loving the domestic undertone of the offer. “Are you going back to work? Should I get out of your hair?”

Tobin really doesn’t want the tanned woman to leave just yet, feeling greedy about the time they’re spending together. “No, no. I mean, um, you don’t have to go just yet. But, uh, I totally get if you have work stuff you need to get back to, and… stuff.” she responds, trying not to sound _too_ frantic but ultimately failing.

“You sure?” Christen asks. 

“For sure, Chris. I’m mean…” Tobin looks at the old frame she had started on as an idea sparks into her head. “... you said you wanted some insider secrets. Maybe… I could show you a thing or two about bikes or somethin?” she proposes as she pats the rusty metal frame, her words laced with hopefulness. 

Excitement quickly begins pulsing through Christen’s veins. She can only respond with a bite of her bottom lip to subdue her giant grin and a fervent head nod. 

~~~

Kelley is anxious to say the least. After hearing that she has to converse with this prospective employee that - I mean she’s not going to lie, is definitely hot - she’s lost any and all aspects of swag she possibly had. 

Tobin’s usually not one to notice _anything_ that happens outside of her bike world, but with not really doing any repairs right now and just showing Christen around, Tobin is acutely aware of the annoying jumpiness of her freckled friend. Kelley is flying around the store, randomly picking up items to look like she’s working as some sort of coping mechanism to deal with her undeniable anxiousness. 

After Tobin catches Kelley incessantly moving a seat post up and down for no reason, she decides to try to put an end to this nervous energy. She turns to Christen with a polite, “Excuse me for sec.” to which Christen nods, having noticed their friend’s jitteriness during the last half an hour as well. 

“Hey!” Tobin shouts a little, trying to get Kelley’s attention. When that doesn’t work, she walks over and puts her hands over Kelley’s to get her to stop moving the seat post. “Kel, stop.” And wordlessly, as if brought out of a trance, Kelley pauses her movements and looks up at Tobin. The mechanic notices the unusual worry in her shorter friend’s eyes as she asks, “What’s got you all spazzy, spaz?”

“Oh, I just…” Kelley starts and Tobin, as well as Christen at this point, wait patiently for the woman to formulate her thoughts. “I don’t know, I guess I’m a little nervous to interview this new employee. You know I’m not good at formal interviews or whatever.” she explains, half lying about why she was nervous for the interview. 

“Tobs, can I grab you for a sec?” Christen suddenly asks. Tobin nods, walking back across the shop and she catches the unmistakable mischievous glimmer in those green eyes. Christen had thought since their afternoon at the diner that Kelley O’Hara and Emily Sonnett would be _perfect_ together. And while she knows that Kelley would never admit that her anxiety is due to having to interview the other cyclist, Christen decides that this could be the perfect opportunity to get the ball rolling in their potential relationship. I mean, it’s the least she can do since Kelley had helped her when she was stuck on the whole Tobin situation. 

“So,” she starts, whispering a little so Tobin has to lean in to hear. “I think I know the real issue here and I think I know how to help.” 

“Okay... ” Tobin shrugs, not really picking up on what’s happening. 

“Would you be okay with me and you interviewing along with Kel?” Christen asks.

And while Tobin would rather bike through hell than go through the dreaded chore of interviewing a new employee…she _really_ can’t say no to an adorable Christen with hopeful, glistening eyes. “Umm, y-yeah. Sure?” she replies. 

“Great!” Christen pops up, no longer whispering. She looks back to Kelley, who’s started clipping and unclipping a bike chain and asks, “Kel, would you want us to maybe interview this potential employee with you?”

Kelley’s head shoots back with a smile. “YES! That sounds really, really good. Really good plan, Press.” she lets out in one breath. 

And Christen grins. 

And Tobin looks back and forth at the two wondering what the hell she just got herself into.

~~~

“Hey Kel, Emily Sonnett’s here for her interview-'' Ashlyn's raised voice pauses when she rounds the corner into the staff room, thinking she’s going to see Kelley and not expecting her to be joined by Christen _and_ Tobin. “Um, what’re you two doin here?” she questions pointing to the two additional people in the room. 

“Well Kelley was a little nervous about this whole interviewing thing, so I thought we’d keep her company. Plus, wouldn’t it be better if multiple people got an opinion on the prospective employee?” Christen states as innocently as possible. 

Ashlyn’s confused look morphs into one of scepticism. “I know for damn sure that ‘Little Mrs. Mechanic’ over there,” she points at a very relaxed Tobin who's fiddling with a PaperMate eraser. “won’t have an opinion one way or another about this Emily Sonnett chick.”

“Hey, if she’s workin in the store with us, I wanna make sure she’s not gonna burn the place down or anything.” Little Mrs. Mechanic remarks, sitting up a bit more in her slouched chair. Christen smiles over at her and gives a small squeeze of her knee under the table for going along with the plan (even if Tobin isn’t quite sure what the “plan” is). The contact makes any doubts Tobin had at participating in this scheme fly out the window.

“Alllllright… anyway. She’s here, so I’m just gonna send her in.” the tattooed woman settles, walking back out to the front of the store. 

A few seconds later, the upbeat racer parades into the room with an animated smile on her face. “Hey guys!” she says with a wave, taking a seat in the open chair across from the three others. “Thanks for letting me come in and everything. I saw y’all from the race and then at the diner and I thought I’d reach out.” 

A beat passes as neither Christen, Kelley, or Tobin knows who’s going to take charge in this interview. Christen feels awkward being the one to administrate, considering she doesn’t actually work in the store, but she gets the feeling that Kelley’s too nervous and Tobin’s too uninterested to speak up themselves. “Well thank you for contacting the store, Sonnett!” Christen decides to begin. 

“Yea, of course! I didn’t know you worked here, Christen. Your name wasn’t on the website.” Sonnett says as more of a question than a statement. 

Christen giggles a little bashfully. “Um, I-I _don’t_ work in the store, but I thought I could lend a hand since I know you already. Right bike buddy?” she grins. 

Sonnett chuckles and gives some finger guns as she replies, “You know it!”

Another moment of silence passes and Christen is still waiting for Kelley to pick up the conversation. _God, where is the Kelley O’hara that shameless flirted with me now?_

“Well, Kelley here is gonna ask you some questions concerning your resume, your previous work experience, and all that.” Christen continues, trying to set up Kelley to take over and having to physically nudge the woman’s arm slightly. 

With wide eyes, realizing that she can’t go the entire interview without talking, Kelley awkwardly clears her throat and shuffles the paper of the printed resume that Sonnett had emailed the night before. “Um, uh yea. So it says here that you graduated from University of Virginia with a sociology major?” she observes. 

Sonnett nods her head. “Yup! Wah-hoo-wah! UVA!” she chants with a smile and Kelley freezes again, not expecting such a goofy yet charming reply.

Tobin’s finally starting to pick up on the reason behind Kelley’s anxiousess as she throws her pink eraser at the stunned woman. “Go on, Kel!” she chuckles with a grin. 

“Umm, cool. That’s cool. And it says here you played soccer there?” she continues, not really knowing where this line of questioning is going. 

“That’s right.” the blond confirms. “Until I picked up cycling. I still play around on the pitch from time to time, but yea.”

When another lengthy pause from Kelley comes about, Christen quickly tries to rescue the uncomfortable interview. “Well with being an adamant cyclist and athlete as well as just an enthusiastic person, you seem perfect for the job.” she reflects. “So what made you reach out? Why would you like to work here?”

Sonnett lets out a heavy exhale, but expected this question when she had sent her resume in. “I guess, just ‘cause I really admire how you guys organized and helped out at the race. I mean, I’ve done my fair share of races and that was one of the most enjoyable ones I’ve ridden in.” she explains. “And, I’ve been riding and racing forever and I love everything about bikes and I just think it’d be cool to be a part of this little shop ya got.”

Christen, Kelley, and Tobin nod, content at the answer and hearing exactly what they all wanted to hear. 

“Plus, who wouldn’t wanna work alongside a ‘Jack’s Coma Survivor’?” she adds with a wink towards Kelley, who shyly looks down at her lap with a spreading smile. 

And Christen knows right then and there that the two are going to hit it off, so she enacts the final stage of her plan. “Great answer, Sonnett. So Tobs still has to show me how to, uh, attach the derailleur… to the, uh- back of… -I don’t know, we just gotta head out. But Kelley wanted to show you around the shop before we call you about the job later.” Christen quickly stands from her seat, grabbing a surprised Tobin by the hand and swiftly leading them out of the staff room without another word. 

Both Sonnett and Kelley stand from their seats as well, not expecting the quick exit or the apparent tour of the shop. But Kelley starts to regain some of her self proclaimed charm as she gestures towards the door. “Shall we?” she invites and they exchange soft smiles as they begin the tour. 

~~~

Christen, still dragging Tobin along by the hand, leads them out of the shop instead and goes outside to the back of the building. With giggles, they lean against the wall, acting like teenagers and loving the exhilarating rush of being with each other. 

“So we should give those two some time alone together, dontcha think?” Christen recommends between giggling. 

Tobin nods as she pushes herself off the building and slowly moves closer into Christen’s space. “Yea, and I personally wouldn’t mind a little more time with you.” she admits, her timid behavior disappearing when Christen had reached her hand over to the mechanic’s knee moments ago. 

With Tobin setting her hands on the wall next to Christen’s shoulders, slightling pinning their bodies in place, they beam back at each other. The thrilling energy they had from their first date starts to stir again, and Christen can’t stop her hands from reaching out to touch the soft skin of Tobin’s face. “Would you maybe wanna hangout at my apartment?” she asks, before panicking at what the question could be insinuating. “I mean, to watch a movie maybe? Or to just eat? I, uh, I know we just had sandwiches, nevermind we don’t have to eat-”

And Tobin silences the words out of her mouth as she leans in to connect their lips, both of them sighing into the kiss with a wave of comfort, like it’s the millionth kiss they’ve shared and not just the fourth. When Tobin slowly leans back, Christen’s lips chase after her, reattaching like she couldn’t get enough (because she can’t get enough). 

Finally, they both need to catch their breath as they lean back, the smiles on their faces telling each other everything. “I would love to come to your apartment to hangout and _maybe_ watch a movie and _maybe_ eat some more.” Tobin teases with her answer, biting her bottom lip to try and tame how eager she is. Christen’s glad that her body’s leaned against the back wall when she feels how weak in the knees she is. She grins and grabs Tobin hand again, leading them down the short walk back to her apartment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by food cause, honestly, when i have not mentioned food in any of these chapters. i should literally list “food” as one of the characters in this story with how much its mentioned


	8. Eventually...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin laughs her ass off, Christen’s a koala

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i know i usually update on sundays (nd i still will tomorrow) but here i am because 1. ive noticed that there hasnt been a lot of updates on works recently and we all need somethin to read in quarantine haha and 2. ive already written up to like chap 13 :)
> 
> And i gotta poll the peeps! do i: 1) add some smut for yall ;) , 2) leave the story smutless for the youngins out there, or 3) have like an artistically minimal smut scene? lemme know!

“Nice place,” Tobin comments as she walks into Christen’s apartment, noting the homey looking decor and the spotless surfaces. 

Despite having a limited budget for a place of residence (since the yoga business wasn't exactly bringing in any concrete revenue yet) she'd only been able to afford a small-ish studio apartment, but Christen made it a priority to find a way to make the space truly  _ hers _ . She was able to expertly fit everything into the studio, organizing her things to make it snug but not suffocating. While the size of the studio made it so Tobin could see every piece of furniture and every detail just from standing at the front door, it somehow still looked roomy with it’s modern furniture and the splashes of bright color. A very tidy looking clothing rack houses all of Christen's accessories and outfits, and a cozy little kitchen off to the side gives a rustic feel to the room. The queen sized bed fits in the far corner and the windows let in natural light to shine onto the well-kept house plants scattered around.

Setting down her purse and taking off her jacket to hang on the nearby coat rack, Christen responds, “Thanks! I know it’s not the most spacious place, but it fits me and it fits my needs.”

“Yea, no, of course. I really like it.” Tobin confirms, following suit and hanging up her jacket. She quickly notices the teal beach cruiser set next to the door, smirking at how this one, inanimate object was the starting point of them meeting one another. “I see the ol’ bike is up and ready to go.” she comments, walking over to feel the fresh leather seat she had replaced when it was in her shop for repair. 

“Funny enough, I haven’t actually ridden it since my little crash.” Christen laughs. She makes her way into the kitchen, opening the fridge. “Want something to drink?”

“Just some water maybe? Thank you.” the mechanic replies, still inspecting the bike a little. 

Christen comes back with a glass of water and a La Croix for herself, seeing that Tobin is still looking at her cruiser and has a puzzled look on her face. Tobin sees her return and takes the offered glass with a “thank you”.

“Whatcha lookin at?” Christen asks, wondering what’s got the woman so intrigued. 

Tobin takes a step back from the bike, sipping some of the water but still looking over the cruiser with slight confusion. “Nothin’, I guess…” Tobin trails. “I don’t know. Did you get new brake cables? Cause when I fixed it up, I don’t remember replacing those. I mean, your bike was kinda messed up but I don’t think the brakes were an issue… ”

Heat quickly rushes to Christen’s face as she realizes the can of worms she’s been adamantly pushing to the back of her mind. She bashfully looks down at her feet, nervously fidgeting the tip of her shoe into the floor. “Ummm, yea. That’s actually kind of a funny story…” she remarks.

Tobin looks over and sees how uncomfortable the yoga instructor had gotten, starting to panic at what she’d possibly done wrong. Before she can ramble out any sort of apology for whatever had happened in the last couple seconds, Christen grabs her hand and leads them to the small, coral-colored couch in the living area. 

As they both sit down, Christen takes one last chug of her bubbly drink before setting it on the glass coffee table, wishing it had some contents of alcohol to help push her through telling this embarrassing story. She sighs, trying to quickly formulate what she’s about to say and how to say it. All the while Tobin is freaking out over how intense the atmosphere had gotten all of a sudden.  _ What the fuck is happening? _

“Hey, it’s okay.” Tobin soothes, swiftly placing her drink next to Christen’s. “I’m sorry if I said something wrong. I-I didn’t mean to-”

“-No.” Christen interrupts, shifting her body to face the worried mechanic. “I just… I should really tell you this now.” And Tobin nods as she patiently waits for Christen to reveal whatever it is she needs to reveal. “So, I don’t know how you’re gonna feel about this, but I’ll just start by prefacing that… I really liked you from the moment we met.”

Tobin smiles widely at this and the brightness radiating from the look alone is what motivates Christen to continue. “Honestly, I was kind of hooked even from our first phone call.” she admits, lightly chuckling. “And I hadn’t really felt that in a long time. That sort of stomach-churning, cloud-parting, heart-pounding sort of… crush, I guess.”

“I felt the same way.” the hazel eyed woman interjects with a smile.

Christen beams back as she takes Tobin’s hand in her own, holding it loosely as she gets to the story she’s been dreading. “So… after seeing you and picking up my bike - thank you for fixing it by the way - I knew that I wanted to see you again. But I thought the only way it’d make sense for me to see you, is if I needed my bike to be repaired somehow.” she continues, looking down at their hands as she nervously plays with Tobin’s strong fingers. “And so I, um… That night, I… I cut the brake cables on my bike as a sort of excuse for me to see you again...” Christen shyly glances up, trying to quickly gauge the mechanic’s reaction. Recalling this story the first time with Kelley and then again to Julie hadn’t been too ego-bruising, but for some reason, it makes Christen way more embarrassed to have to tell Tobin. 

Tobin’s eyes widen slightly, but otherwise, her face holds the same expression, so Christen powers on. “And so when I went back to the shop to get it  _ re _ -fixed, I ran into Kelley instead of you… and, um…” 

This was the part of the story that Christen was most afraid to recall. She had no idea how Tobin would react to the fact that she had gone on a date (even though she didn’t know it had been a date) with Tobin’s best friend. “Kelley asked me out, but I tried to make sure she knew we would be going out just as friends, but she didn’t take the hint and still thought it was a date…” she tries to explain briskly, ripping the band-aid off. “And at the end of the night, when I realized that she’d thought it was a date, I cleared up that it wasn’t and that I’ve only been interested in dating you.” Christen tries to emphasize that last part. 

They stay silent for a moment as Christen waits for Tobin to respond and Tobin processes all of the information that was just unloaded onto her. 

After a few more seconds of complete silence, Tobin suddenly bursts out laughing and Christen jumps slightly at the unexpected sound. She watches in shock (and slight concern) as the mechanic’s head falls back in boisterous laughter, eyes shut tightly with a hint of water spilling out, her hands letting go of Christen's to clutch her stomach, and almost falling to the floor. 

And in witnessing this, Christen doesn’t know whether to laugh or yell or call a mental institution. She offers some nervous chuckling and a questioning gaze, slowly leaning over to the coffee table to move their drinks away from Tobin's unpredictably erratic movements in her fit of laughter. 

Once Tobin has calmed down slightly, wiping the tears from her eyes and letting out the sounds of dying laughter, she reaches for her water to rehydrate from her uncontrollable frenzy. 

“Um, a-are you… uh, okay?” Christen timidly asks, now being the one in the room who has no clue what’s happening. 

Tobin waves her hand weakly as if to dismiss how she reacted, still trying to compose herself. Finally she takes a deep breath and looks back into Christen’s almost mortified eyes. “Y-yeah, yeah. Sorry. I just… was not expecting all of that.” she says through fading hints of laughter. 

Christen isn’t sure how to proceed. Of all the reactions she’d thought Tobin would have (anger, confusion, sadness, etc...), this was not one of them. “Uhhh, I guess I’d just like to know what you’re thinking...” She poses the statement as a question. 

“Yeah, sorry.” Tobin’s heart rate levels out and she clears her throat. “I was just expecting something way worse, is all. Like, I thought you were gonna say we couldn’t see each other any more or that I’d ruined something.” she tries to explain, but notices how Christen still seems utterly confused. “I don’t know… you just built up this whole thing and kinda freaked me out, but it turned out to be really funny.” 

“Funny?” Christen questions with shock. “Really?”

“I-I mean, yeah? Do you...  _ not _ think it's funny?” Tobin asks timidly, starting to feel a little guilty for how she reacted and realizing that it may not have been the most appropriate way to respond.

Needless to say, Christen’s shell-shocked. She just confessed to vandalizing her own bike, one of the most embarrassing things she’s done in pursuit of a crush, AND accidentally going on a date with one of her crush’s best friends, but said crush considers it to be…  _ funny _ ? 

“Well… no, to be completely honest. It’s kinda embarrassing - the whole bike thing - and I thought you be, like, mad or something that I went out with Kelley...” Christen admits. Honestly, she kind of wants to be mad at Tobin for not being mad.

Seeing the slightly hurt look in those vibrant green eyes, Tobin tries to quickly amend the situation. “Hey, no Chris. There’s really nothing to be embarrassed about.” she says comfortingly, taking Christen’s hands back into her own and softly stroking her knuckles. “I mean,  _ you  _ damaged your bike a little,  _ I _ charged you way less than I should’ve for the repair… we all do some crazy things when we like someone. And later on, I’m sure we’ll look back at all the crazy things and laugh. Like I did just now.” Tobin considers it a success when Christen giggles in return. “See! You’re already laughing about it!”

“I’m laughing at you, ya dork.” Christen clarifies with a smile, the embarrassment she was feeling moments ago now fading. “And I totally knew you undercharged me!”

Tobin laughs as well, both in a much lighter mood now. “Yea, and Ashlyn couldn’t even be mad ‘cause she knew how, like, smitten I was with you. Hell, she knew it before I did!” They laugh together, realizing how everything seems to be falling perfectly into place, just as the universe had planned. 

“And the whole ‘date with Kelley thing’? I think that’s pretty hilarious too.” Tobin affirms. “Like, I think she was raving about you before and I didn’t even know that it was  _ you _ she was talkin about. But yeah, I trust that the whole thing was born out of Kel’s delusions and that you didn’t mean for it to be like, a ‘romantic’ date or anything. She’s not the best at taking hints.” Tobin finishes with a wink. 

Christen smiles back, the ministrations on her hand and the affirmations from Tobin successfully soothing her. She starts to feel the familiar atmosphere of comfort she’s grown accustomed to when being in Tobin’s presence, finally understanding where the woman’s unexpected fit of laughter had come from. With a content sigh, Christen calmly asks, “Alright, so now that that’s out of the way, would you like to watch some tv or something?”

And Tobin eagerly nods in response. 

~~~

After a very extensive Disney movie marathon, Tobin is splayed out on the fun-sized couch, feeling herself sink into the cushions as her eyes fight to stay open. Christen is also resisting the overpowering urge of sleep, having shared multiple bowls of popcorn and mugs of hot chocolate with the mechanic over the past hours. The two had quickly found a comfortable position cuddling next to each other, inevitably finding a spot in each other's spaces like two magnets naturally attaching together. 

And maybe it was just how cozy Christen felt under Tobin’s lean arm that resulted in such a lengthy movie marathon. 

As the credits of "Princess and the Frog" start rolling, Christen looks over to see Tobin’s head gradually sink downwards, only for her to quickly pop back up in consciousness, and the yoga instructor can’t help but giggle at how adorable the sight is. The clock on the wall reads 23:45, and she debates how to go about their current situation. _ What is the protocol for when your crush stays over to watch over eight hours of singing cartoon characters and you’re both on the brink of falling asleep and you’re snuggled into her side and she just looks so soft and warm and- _

“Hey, I should probably get goin, huh?” Tobin suddenly groans in a groggily voice, looking into the eyes of the woman under her arm. She’s found herself in the same situation as their first date: wanting their time together to drag out for as long as possible, but not wanting to overstay her welcome. 

And just like at their date, Christen’s thinking the same thing. But this time, she decides to take a chance. “I mean, yeah… it  _ is _ pretty late, but… um. What if you, uh stayed over tonight?” she invites timidly.

Tobin’s mind springs to attention at hearing that sentence, her brain speeding up at all the hidden messages that the invitation holds. Before she’s really formulated her words, she blurts out the first thing that popped into her mind. “T-to have… um,  _ sex _ ?”

“No! No, no, no, no… That’s not what I meant.” Christen rapidly sputters out. “I mean, I want to, um, do that… eventually… b-but I-” She stops rambling when she sees the grin on Tobin’s face. “What’s that look for?”

“I want that too.” Tobin agrees, an almost smug look plastered on her face as she teases, “ _ Eventually… _ ”

Christen just rolls her eyes, lightly smacking the mechanic’s stomach but nestling back into her side nonetheless. “What I meant was you could stay over to sleep. Just sleep.” she clarifies. “To be honest, I kinda just wanna keep cuddling.”

Tobin chuckles lightly at how downright cute this woman is. “Hmph, so you only want me for my cuddles, huh?” she feigns annoyance, as if she hasn’t already decided that snuggling next to Christen is truly the only thing she wants to do for the rest of her life.

“Yup.” Christen playfully replies, digging impossibly deeper into the mechanic’s side. “If you hadn’t revealed how cuddly you are, I maybe would’ve just kept you around for your bike fixing abilities.” 

“Well, I suppose that’s fair enough.” Tobin laughs, dropping the facade because she really couldn’t go much long pretending to not love being curled up with this woman. “Got anything I could change into, though? Jeans aren’t really the most comfortable to sleep in and I  _ definitely  _ need to be comfortable if you want the best cuddles out of me.”

Christen laughs, slowly removing herself from the warmth of Tobin’s body to lead them towards her bed. “Of course. I’m sure I got some sweats calling your name.” 

They make their way to Christen’s makeshift closet, and she pulls out some comfy sweats along with an oversized Stanford hoodie. In the one separate bathroom of the studio, they get ready side by side, both silently wondering how they've become so domestic so fast, but not worried about it in the slightest. In the mirror, Christen gives little looks and Tobin makes goofy faces that result in toothpaste foam almost being spit onto their glass reflections. 

Tobin is out of the bathroom first as Christen continues to wash her face and she suddenly doesn’t know what to do with herself. She stands awkwardly, staring at the fluffy comforter on the bed, not knowing whether she should wait for Christen to finish or just hop right in (she  _ really _ hasn't done this in a while). 

Luckily, the uncertainty lasts only a moment as Christen comes back out, turning off the bathroom light and wrapping her arms around Tobin’s waist, hugging her from behind as she rests her freshly washed face on the bike mechanic’s broad shoulder. Tobin chuckles at this adorable display of affection, turning her head and planting a quick peck to the woman’s temple. “I don’t know if it’s the Disney movies or the sleepiness, but you are like a human koala, missy.” she comments, turning her body to face the very sleepy woman. 

She takes Christen’s freshly washed face into her hands, smiling as she sees those piercing green eyes flutter close in contentment. Tobin slowly leans into the lavender scent of her face wash, giving the softest touch of her lips to each of Christen’s closed eyelids, then both of her cheeks, leaving one in the middle of her forehead, and finally ending with a delicate kiss to her lips. Christen hums in response, loving how gentle it all felt - Tobin cradling her face like a piece of art that demanded only the most tender touches. 

When Christen’s eyes reopen, her heart swells at the sight of the soft hazel eyes peering back at her. And in response to the kisses, the tanned woman brings her hand up to Tobin’s smooth cheek bones, moving her fingertips over the faint lines at the corner of her eyes where Tobin's wide smile reaches and tracing her hand down to the edge of her sharp jaw. Christen’s captivated as she gazes at Tobin’s facial features, her brain trying to store every detail to memory. With her mind completely rid of thoughts for once, her body acts on instinct, pulling Tobin back in for one of the sweetest kisses they've shared, but not deepening it. They both release long sighs, content with simple contact of their lips and knowing there’d be time for more,  _ eventually _ …

Leaning back from the kiss, Christen doesn’t go far as she moves her head into the space under Tobin’s jaw, nuzzling her nose into the inviting warmth of Tobin’s neck. Somehow, this feels like the most intimate thing Christen’s ever done, simply embracing the mechanic in this drowsy state of hers. She can’t even begin to feel embarrassed at how this could be perceived as “clingy” when she feels Tobin’s arms tighten around her shoulders, pulling their bodies impossibly closer and settling her head on top of Christen’s curly hair. 

And they remain like that for what could’ve been seconds, minutes, hours, or days. As they stay in each other’s arms, late at night and on the brink of collapsing into sleep, any recollection of time fades away. 

It’s only when Christen starts to lean into Tobin’s body a little too much, causing them to stumble back a step, that they let go with a laugh. 

Christen moves to pull back her bed covers and Tobin follows on autopilot, both simultaneously snuggling themselves into the cool cotton sheets and immediately finding each other's bodies once more. The millisecond that they resume their comfortable position, with Christen’s head resting securely on Tobin’s chest, arms wrapping around her middle and Tobin’s back sinking into the mattress as she lays her arms loosely around Christen’s shoulders, the looming atmosphere of sleep takes over in an instant. 

~~~

The first thing Christen notices as she wakes from her usually groggy residue of sleep is how…  _ un- _ groggy she feels. And she immediately accredits this unique comfort to the heating pad-like human she's currently laying on top of. Christen lifts her head up a bit to view the sleeping woman, watching the soft pattern of breaths and the rhythmic rise and fall of Tobin's chest beneath her. 

And she thinks about how she could wake up to this everyday for the rest of her life.

And she thinks about how she  _ wants _ to wake up to this everyday for the rest of her life.

Christen’s brought out of her thoughts as Tobin, still half asleep, shifts her body slightly, slowly succumbing to consciousness. With a tender, fuzzy feeling stirring in her heart, Christen leans in and lightly grazes her lips with Tobin’s. Even in her dreamy state, the mechanic is quick to press her lips firmer into Christen’s as her hand snakes up to the back of her curly hair to keep them still. 

Finally releasing, Christen watches as Tobin’s eyes flicker open and they exchange wide grins at each other. “I could get used to waking up like that.” Tobin rasps out, rubbing the last bits of sleep out of her eyes. 

And since Christen definitely can not disagree, she responds with an agreeable nod and another quick peck. “I’m gonna go make some breakfast. The only things we ate last night were popcorn and hot chocolate so I am  _ starving _ .” the tanned woman states as she starts to peel herself away. But Tobin’s quick to latch onto the woman above her, engulfing Christen back into a tight embrace as she silently protests her leaving. Christen giggles back, teasing, “Ya’know, you call  _ me _ a koala, but I’d say this situation right now would prove otherwise.” and Tobin lets out a chuckle, but doesn’t loosen her grip. 

Only with the promise of chocolate chip banana pancakes and some fresh coffee does Tobin reluctantly release the yoga instructor. 

As Tobin emerges from the bathroom after finally getting out of bed, she’s immediately hit with the promised smell of pancakes and coffee, and a satisfied smile creeps onto her face. Her smile gets even wider and her heart starts beating faster as she sees Christen milling around the small kitchen space. With her hair extra curly from bedhead and still in her large shirt and sleep shorts, the sight of the woman makes Tobin’s heart feel as if it’ll beat right out of her chest. 

Her presence still unnoticed, the mechanic swiftly glides to where Christen’s watching the pancakes cook, circling her arms around her waist. Christen jumps slightly at the sudden contact but instantly melts into it. They stay silently nuzzled together as Christen flips and plates the fluffy pancakes. When the last one is finished, they laugh as Tobin’s stomach gives a loud rumble, proving the undeniable hunger they both have. Tobin pours herself a cup of steaming coffee and joins Christen to where she’s lounging on the couch, legs criss-crossed with a plate of pancakes in her lap. 

“It’s no ‘Jack’s Coma’ flapjacks, but it’s good.” Tobin teases which earns her a humored smirk and an eye roll. 

They eat their breakfast, sharing brief words here and there about plans for the day, but both happy with the comfortable silence the morning brings. With empty, syrup smeared plates left on the coffee table, they let the tv run quietly in the background, mostly engrossed with cuddling together. When Tobin remembers that she should probably go to open up the store (not risking the teasing she’d get from her friends if she asks for another morning to “sleep in”), they unwillingly separate to  _ really _ get the day started. Moving around the studio, Tobin picks some of Christen’s clothes to wear to work, not expecting to have stayed the night and not having any extra clothes.

Tobin lingers at the door on her way out, sharing periodic pecks with the yoga instructor as she delays her exit. “I don’t wanna goooo,” she whines for possibly the first time in her life. 

Christen giggles and quickly kisses the pout on the mechanic’s face. “But you gotta goooo” she teases back. 

While exchanging more longing looks and little pecks, Tobin knows she’s really cutting it close, but it just makes her pout grow. 

“How about I come in again during your lunch break? Give ya something to look forward to.” Christen negotiates as a bargain.

And with a vehement nod, Tobin gives a final kiss and excitedly bounces out the door and onto the street, feeling the crisp morning air hit her gleaming face. 

She can’t help but giggle as she walks to her bike store, knowing that Kelley and Ashlyn are going to give her so much shit about her happy-go-lucky mood and the very unfamiliar outfit, but she really couldn’t care when she knows she’s going to see Christen in less than three hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by my new bike!!! very excited, its a diamondback road bike, drop handlebars, retro sorta vibe cus i bought it used, but ugh its just really rad frfr


	9. The three stages of a relationship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christen cries a little, Tobin’s a healthy gal, Kelley wants stage three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lil bit of a time jump/montage in this one just to keep the ball rollin (ps: as y'all know, the next few chapters are already written and, lemme tell ya, its gonna get a lil sad up in here so enjoy the fluff while it lasts)(pps: im gonna change the story summary cause it kinda doesnt make sense now that this has gone in a totally different direction than what i had originally thought up hahaha…)

It became a regular routine for the two of them. Christen would come visit the store in the afternoon and the two of them would hangout during their lunch break to eat the Costco quantity of food Ashlyn would always bring in (but the food selections gradually became much healthier with the suggestions Christen made). Afterwards, Tobin would go back to doing bike things while Christen worked in her self-designated office area (aka a tiny counter space she’d cleared off, conveniently next to where Tobin was usually stationed). Luckily, most of the tasks she had to do for the yoga studio could be done remotely via her laptop, which Tobin couldn’t complain about. Christen would usually finish her work first, so she happily kept the mechanic company while she finished a repair or a paint job. When the work day would draw to an end, Tobin would close up the store and the two would grab dinner out or eat snuggled together in one of their apartments before staying the night. And then the whole cycle would repeat to the next day. 

Kelley and Ashlyn weren’t blind to this change of lifestyle that they were witnessing with their best friend. They noticed how Tobin’s usually excessive amount of time spent in the shop started shortening to actual regular working hours. There were no more empty cups of coffee spread around when they’d come in (since Tobin now ate breakfast with Christen). Boxes of donuts made a frequent appearance with the mechanic’s much more cheery morning demeanor and lunch breaks were now used to actually spend time with one another instead of watching Tobin blow off their break to keep working. The biggest change of all was, of course, Christen’s constant presence in the store, which wasn’t unwanted by any means. 

What the two friends didn’t see was the lifestyle changes Tobin had developed outside of the store. 

Sure, Tobin’s usual breakfast of coffee and maybe a pastry were long gone since dining with Christen in the mornings, but she really couldn’t complain when the yoga instructor would whip up phenomenal (and exponentially healthier) breakfast meals. With flavorful spinach omelettes or protein pancakes and fresh fruit, how could Tobin  _ not  _ come into the shop with a chipper mood and fresh donuts in tow?

Honestly, Tobin’s entire health and fitness improved greatly with Christen’s influence. Despite a few weeks of protest, Tobin had reluctantly given in to the request of joining Christen’s morning yoga, having to drag the yoga instructor's coffee table out of the way to make more room in the tiny studio apartment. While she’d never admit it out loud, the sessions actually made her body feel five years younger than before (and Christen just smirked knowingly when Tobin would make a space for herself with her own newly-purchased yoga mat, ready to follow the yoga instructor’s lead). The combination of an improved diet with the additional yoga was definitely noticeable to Tobin during her cycling training. The trek up Mt. Washington was soon and if she thought she was prepared before, this new way of life boosted her preparation ten fold. 

In all this whirlwind of change, the aspects that Tobin found herself most grateful for were the emotional and internal improvements that Christen brought. Before the green eyed woman’s entrance in her life, Tobin’s routine started and ended with bikes, whether during work or in her time training. She didn’t consider herself lonely or anything. She loved hanging out with “Dumb and Dumber” and she had a good amount of surface level friendships when attending races (avid cyclists like herself that would always make an appearance with bike-race small talk).

But Christen filled a void in her that she didn’t even recognize she had. There was a sudden feeling of security in her life that brought a tremendously unexpected amount of comfort to the mechanic. She knew that no matter what happened - whether it be an aggravating customer or a bike issue she couldn’t figure out or a rough training session - at the end of the day, she could decompress with a light movie, a delicious dinner, and the tan woman cuddled in her arms. 

And that safety net of sorts meant the world to Tobin. 

~~~

“God, Kelley. You’re literally responsible for half of the salad being gone. This is supposed to be able to feed, like, twenty people!” Ashlyn remarks. When choosing the food for their lunch break today, the tattooed woman planned to order the usual large pepperoni pizza. But with one persuading look from Christen, the group was set with a shareable quinoa and chicken salad from some trendy health place Ashlyn didn’t even know existed. The group was skeptical at first, seeing the leafy greens and the mysterious looking grains that filled the bowl, but after the first few bites, it quickly grew on them.

And especially Kelley.

“Ugh, it’s just so good! Who knew something that didn’t have fat and grease could taste so amazing!” Kelley excitedly responds, shoving another fork-full of salad in her mouth. 

The group just chuckled, surprised at how welcomed this healthier lifestyle is. “Well I was always surprised at first at how much food Ash would order for lunch, but I think I understand now.” Christen laughs. 

“Hey, I’m just a growing girl!” the freckled woman quips back with bits of grilled chicken falling out of her mouth. 

“Yeah keep talkin’, Shorty. Hey, have you called that Emily Sonnett chick to let her know that she’s good for the job?” Ashyn deliberately asks knowing that it’ll shut Kelley up. Which it did.

Ashlyn smirks at the lack of answer and the clear blush on Kelley’s freckled cheeks. “I’ve always had to order a shit ton of food for us. It’s been that way since day one.” she starts to explain to Christen. “Even though Tobs over here could literally live off Gu energy gels for the rest of her life.”

The group all laughs again and Tobin can’t even protest, knowing how many electrolyte gels she consumes when training. This is further proven when she manages to fish out a couple of the gels from her pocket, which brings on more laughter from the group of friends. 

After they’ve all calmed down and finished talking and eating and enjoying their lunch break together, the group disperses to get back to work. Throwing away the last empty cup, Tobin turns to her workstation expecting to see a curly haired woman typing away on her laptop, but instead, Christen’s gathering her things as if she’s already getting ready to leave. 

“Hey, you’re not stayin?” Tobin asks, not even trying to hide the sadness in her voice. 

Christen shakes her head with an apologetic frown as she replies, “Not today, babe. Julie and I have one last walk through of the studio before we officially open up.” After sliding her laptop into her work bag, she walks over to the pouting mechanic, wrapping her arms loosely around the woman’s shoulders. 

Tobin’s pout remains planted on her face, but she reactively brings her arms up to hold onto Christen’s hips. “Hmph, well obviously I’m stoked that y’all are so close to opening but I’m still gonna miss hanging out with you today.” she utters in a low tone. 

“Why’re you acting like we’re never gonna see each other again!” Christen laughs, running her fingers through Tobin’s honey-brown hair and her pout is gradually replaced with a soft smile, loving the soothing feel of the woman’s fingering weaving through her hair. With a quick peck, Christen questions, “Your place or mine tonight?”

“Hmmm, mine? I’m gonna train after closing so I’ll have to go back to my place and take a shower anyway.” Tobin reasons. 

Christen slowly detaches herself from their embrace as she grabs her bag. “Well _ I _ have a shower that you can use. ” she comments and with a suggestive smirk adds, “And it just so happens to be big enough for two people… ” Tobin audibly gulps at the insinuation but before she can say anything about the subject, Christen deliberately heads out the door with a wink and a “Bye!”

And Tobin is left frozen in the shop, blushing like a fool.  _ Good God… _

~~~

Kelley is grabbing her things to head on out when she passes Tobin painting a new frame without the usual green eyed woman next to her. “Where’s Christen? I thought you two were attached at the hip.” she comments, bringing Tobin’s attention to her. 

“Oh, she had to go look at the studio today, but I think we’re having dinner tonight.” Tobin responds, checking her watch to see how much time she has before her cycling session and before she needs to meet up with Christen. 

“Ooo, a lil wine and dine action?” Kelley wiggles her eyebrows with the question. 

As Tobin takes off her plastic gloves and starts gathering the surrounding paint supplies, she replies with a simple, “I don’t know. I'm thinkin we’ll just order some Chinese food or somethin.”

Kelley grabs a stool to sit on, completely neglecting her plan of leaving in favor of getting to tease her best friend. “Aaah, so you two have already gotten to the mundane dinners part of your relationship? C’mon Tobs! You gotta keep the spark alive with that smokin girlfriend of yours!” 

_ Girlfriend. _

The term makes Tobin visible tense up and her mouth twitches slight, but she tries to quickly play it off. Much to her dismay, her "sometimes can't take a hint" best friend notices the reaction. 

“Wait, you guys have established that whole thing, right?” Kelley asks with a spark added to her voice. When she’s met with a silent answer she quickly jumps on this opportunity to further pester the mechanic. “Oh my god, you two are all lovey-dovey and spend every second together, but you haven’t asked her the big ‘girlfriend question’?!”

“Is that really a thing, Kel?” Tobin sasses back, but a feeling of worry begins creeping into her mind. 

“Dude. Hell yes. I know you haven’t done this relationship thing in a while, so let me educate you real quick.” the shorter woman begins. While Tobin continues to act like she’s annoyed and doesn't care, she also stops cleaning up to give Kelley her attention.

“So there’s three stages to a relationship. Stage one is the ‘getting to know you stage’. Ya hangout a lil, go on dates, sus each other out, right?” Tobin nods, thinking about how she and Christen have done that a lot, so they've definitely reached stage one.

“Now, to even  _ get  _ to stage two, one of y’all needs to ask the other to make it official. You gotta put that girlfriend label on to leap into stage two of actually being  _ in _ a relationship.” Kelley continues to explain and a shit-eating grin grows onto her face as she declares, “And stage two is the hot and heavy, sex all day and all night, explore each others bodies, stage. It's the real meat of the relationship. Buuut it seems like you’re still stuck in stage one, my friend.”

Tobin stays there nodding, processing all this new information.  _ Dating got so much more complicated _ she internally thinks. “Wait, what’s stage three?” she asks after a while of pondering when she remembers that Kelley had said there are apparently three stages to be aware of. 

Kelley’s grin softens slightly and it catches Tobin a little off guard. “Stage three is the magical happily ever after, Tobs. It’s overcoming the lust of it all and gettin to that forever type of shit. Like, what Ash’s got with Ali, ya’know? You want- no, you  _ strive _ to get to stage three.” Kelley reveals with a seriousness that makes the room feel a little smaller than usual and the silence that follows feels a little denser.

“Do you want to get to stage three?” Tobin asks quietly after a minute. “It seems like your happy with just chillin in stage one with the sex-aspect of stage two.” She tries to joke a little, but the mood doesn’t lighten very much.

After a moment passes, Kelley answers in almost a whisper, “Yeah. I've been thinking of stage three more recently. And I’m startin to, um, to want to get there, maybe… With the right person… ”

With more contemplative silence, the two not expecting this type of intensity between them, Kelley stands from her seat and fidgets with the strap of her backpack. “Get home to your girl and get to stage two.” she tells the now solemn mechanic. “One stage closer to three, right?” 

Tobin nods, still silenced by the unexpected words of wisdom she’d just received. With one last farewell fist bump, Kelley’s out the door, much later than originally planned. 

Checking her watch and seeing that her training route will need to be cut in half if she wants to make it back to her place in time to clean up, Tobin quickly grabs her stuff and rushes out with the darkness of the shop behind her. 

And during the entire cycling session, arguably one of the more challenging routes she rides on, the only thing on her mind is Kelley’s words as they echo around her brain.

~~~

Christen knocks on the familiar door of Tobin’s apartment room. Excitement rushes through her body at the successful day she’s had at the studio. She walked with Julie through the renovated rooms multiple times to make sure everything was perfect. All the wrinkles of design and business and advertising and staff were finally smoothed out and the only thing left to do was open the studio to the public. Before leaving, Christen and Julie had chosen a definitive date for the grand opening and they have never felt so relieved that the tribulations of starting a business are finally drawing to an end. 

Christen is extremely excited.

Excited and exhausted and ready for a relaxing dinner with the mechanic that she sees as the door flies open. 

“Hey, babe,” she says softly, walking into the secure embrace of Tobin’s arms. A surprisingly pleasant smell fills her nose as she lets go and takes her coat off. It didn’t match the typical scent of takeout Chinese or Mexican food. “Are you cooking something?”

Her question is answered when she moves past Tobin and sees an eloquent candle-lit dinner already prepared on the dining table. Her words are caught in her throat as her heart starts beating at a rapid pace. She looks back to Tobin with eyes of wonder. 

Tobin understands the woman’s silent questioning as she wordlessly grabs a hold of her hand and leads them to the table. Complete with a couple candles and a bottle of wine, Tobin had prepared a perfect looking piece of halibut set on a bed of lentils and vegetables. On the side of the plates are some seasoned asparagus and a few cubes of roasted rosemary potatoes. After sitting down, Tobin finally says, “I just thought it’d be nice to switch it up a bit.”

Still in slight awe at this incredibly unexpected romantic display, Christen just grabs the mechanic’s hand and gives an affectionate squeeze, hoping that it’ll convey what she’s feeling since she can’t seem to find the words. But Tobin seems to understand nonetheless as she exclaims, “Let’s dig in!” and Christen laughs lightly. 

The food was expertly prepared and Christen would never have guessed that the mechanic, whose diet before consisted of coffee (electrolyte gels apparently) and whatever Ashlyn ordered for lunch, would somehow be able to cook such a delicious meal.  _ Definitely gonna be taking advantage of this hidden talent in the future… _

“So,” Christen begins to say, taking another sip of wine. “What brought this all on? Did I forget an anniversary or an event or somethin?” she jokes but is lowkey worried that she had actually missed an important date. 

“No, no…” Tobin laughs. “Really, I just wanted to switch up the normal routine and surprise you, baby.”

Christen gives a halfhearted smile, loosely taking Tobin’s hand again to hold across the table. With a timid voice she asks, “Do-do you not like our routine?”

Tobin eyes widen as she tightens her grip on Christen’s limp hand. “No, Chris!” she quickly denies. “No, I love our routine. Believe me when I say I-I  _ really _ love the routine we’ve formed. I love having you around the shop and getting to have dinner with you and falling asleep next to you.” Tobin lets out in hurried breaths.

Of course Christen is sufficiently comforted by the mechanic’s words but before she can express her relief, Tobin continues to ramble on. 

“And our routine has become such an important part of my life. I mean, not just our routine but you as well. Like, you’ve become such an important part of my life.” she says quickly and the haste of her words don't waver the sincerity of it all.

Christen opens her mouth to speak but, again, Tobin’s already starting to talk. “Like, you’ve made my life so much better in the time we’ve been hanging out and I just really like where we’re going with this and I-I wanna get to stage three…” 

_ What is she talking about? “Stage three”?  _ Christen asks herself, now very confused as to where this rambling is going.

“... And I wanna get that stage with you. And I know that for sure now and will-you-be-my-girlfriend?” Tobin finally asks after her whole speech, getting too excited and anxious that her very important question comes out as almost one word. 

Unfortunately, the speed of Tobin’s words made them incoherent to Christen’s ears. “W-what?” the green eyed woman asks in utter confusion. “What did you say? And what’s ‘stage three’?”

With a sharp breath of confidence, Tobin repeats, “Christen. Will you be my girlfriend?”

Christen’s eyes squint slightly and her eyebrows pinch together in more confusion. And Tobin’s confused with why Christen’s now so confused.  _ Did she hear me? _

“Chris?” she starts to ask the woman. “Did you hear-”

“Tobs, I already thought we were together… like… that...” Christen interrupts. “A-as girlfriends…”

They sit there in silence. 

“Oh.” Tobin finally responds. 

“I mean, we go on dates and spend nights together and… I don’t know, I consider us… together…” Christen further explains with an unsure voice.

Tobin lets out a breath, along with the nervous energy she’d built up in her time rambling on at the woman across from her. And her confusion is replaced with a little tingly feeling. “Well… Well great!” she calmly says with a big smile as she forks the last bites of potato into her mouth.

Christen laughs, the events that just happened not quite computing in her mind. “Babe, did you not think you’re my girlfriend?” 

Tobin washes the food down with a gulp of wine, her throat having gotten significantly parched with the fast-paced words she had just spit out. “Truthfully, I thought we were together and you were my girlfriend and all that too, but then Kelley mentioned that we haven’t really had that conversation, so then I wasn't sure.”

“Well, I think you and I both know by now to not listen to Kelley about relationships.” Christen laughs. “And what was the whole thing about phase three? Or stage three or something?”

“Oh...” Tobin starts, not really knowing how to explain the long talk she’d had with their freckled friend. “Kelley explained to me these three stages of being in a relationship. And even though a lot of it was kindaaa… not the best advice, she had some interesting points.”

“Yeah?” The yoga instructor hums as she listens, not being aware of these supposed three stages, but finding it adorable that Tobin was needing to get information about relationships still. She slowly rises from her seat and makes her way towards the other side of the table. “And what’d she say?”

“So apparently there are three stages to a relationship. Stage one is like going on dates and getting to know each other. And I know we do a lot of that so we’ve definitely checked stage one off the list.” she starts to clarify as Christen gently lowers herself into the mechanic’s lap. Despite the slightly distracting proximity of the woman on top of her, Tobin continues on with her explanation. “And then to get to stage two, someone has to make it official. Like, adding the label and all that, which we haven’t explicitly talked about, so I wasn’t sure if we’d made it to stage two.”

“And what is stage two?” Christen asks curiously.

The beat-red blush on Tobin’s face is very noticeable and Christen giggles as she brings her hand up to cover over the slight redness of the woman’s cheek. “Um…” Tobin starts, unsure of how to proceed, opting to leave out the entries description she'd been given. “Well, Kelley… she said stage two was like, um, for… sex, and stuff…” 

Christen’s heart starts pumping and the hand she had rested on the side of Tobin’s face starts sliding down to her neck, her thumb caressing the woman’s sharp jawline before leaning in to attach their lips softly. “Is that so?” she asks in a deeper tone that has Tobin’s stomach doing flips. 

“Hmmhm…” Tobin confirms with an almost filthy groan as Christen directs her lips across the mechanic’s cheek, eventually ghosting over her ear.

“And stage two is what you wanted tonight, huh?” Christen seductively whispers in her ear, every word she says sending shock waves down Tobin’s body. 

And Tobin can only gulp and nod her head dumbly. 

Christen continues her journey downwards, placing a trail of feather light kisses over the column of Tobin’s neck. While they both easily get lost in the moment, Christen suddenly asks into Tobin’s skin, “And what about stage three?”, just as Tobin had asked Kelley before.

There’s a clear moment of silence as Tobin tries to bring herself back to reality. In her current situation, she couldn't even remember what the two were originally talking about before Christen started putting her lips on her. “Um, stage three, uh…” she sputters out before remembering what Kelley had said to her. “Stage three is the ‘forever’ stage of a relationship. Kelley said it was the happily ever after that everyone should strive to have.” 

Christen lifts her head in hearing these words. While Tobin immediately misses the contact of the woman’s lips on her skin, she doesn't complain when her eyes connect with the soft, almost glassy green irises of the woman in her lap. “And you want stage three… with me?” Christen asks shyly as she remembers part of what Tobin had rambled out earlier. 

Tobin brings her hand up to comfortably cradle Christen’s face. “Yeah. I do.” she replies just as softly, but with a confident amount of certainty. “I know it’s kinda soon, I guess, but I want stage three with you.”

Before Christen can respond with anything, a small tear makes it way down from her eye, but the mechanic quickly whips it away with the pad of her thumb. “Noo, stop… Don’t cry,” she coos before wiping away another fallen tear. 

With a sniffle and a smile, Christen assures her, “Happy tears, baby. They’re happy tears.” 

“Are you sure?” Tobin asks, wanting to make sure nothing she’d said had freaked the curly haired out too much.

“I want stage three with you too.” Christen declares, disregarding Tobin’s question as she gazes into the warm hazel eyes. 

And the two stare at each other longingly as they hold one another closely. 

And they let the moment continue as it should, in the comfortable atmosphere of a romantic candle-lit dinner. 

And when Christen’s tears have dried to her skin, she slowly leans back in to leave a light kiss to the curve of Tobin's ear before whispering, “But I think we should check stage two off the list first.”

And chills race down Tobin's spine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by the mothers of the world! Happy mother’s day yall nd have u frickin seen lil Charlie Elena Carrasco! adorbs...


	10. only one yogi on my mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kelley likes salads, Tobin wears a helmet, Christen is a yogi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oky, so first, thxs to everyone who gave their input on the smut/no smut poll, i read through and ur inputs r very much appreciated! im just gonna straight up tell ya rn, i started with full smut mentality and then real quick got cold feet. tbh, you’ll probably be able to tell haha. but wutevah, if ya want smut, theres plenty of other works that have a crazy amount of smut
> 
> Second, i had to do somethin for the big double digit chapter! I just had to. i had to add a lil sumthin sumthin :/
> 
> (third: i just went through all the chapters nd tried to fix any grammar/spelling shit, so if ya want, u can reread with minimal cringe haha)

When Tobin recovers from the ghosting feeling of Christen’s lips against her ear, she’s quick to lift the woman up bridal style and get to business. Christen giggles at this sudden movement and goes back to her endeavor on Tobin’s neck because there’s something about being lifted up so seamlessly that really stirs her on. 

Tobin’s apartment space is relatively bigger than Christen’s so she carries the woman down the hall and into the bedroom, trying her hardest to stay focused on where they’re going and not let her knees give out from the feeling of skillful lips moving around the surface of her neck.

When Tobin stumbles them closer to the bed, Christen half expects the same type of bold and quick movements from the mechanic, but she’s pleasantly surprised when she finds herself gently being lowered on the surface of the bed with a secure hand leading her down. After Tobin gracefully eases the tan woman onto the bed, she takes back control and zeros in to connect their lips. What starts out as relaxed and languid movements quickly amps into an energetic and zealous make out session, with Tobin effectively pinning her body against Christen’s underneath her. 

And when Tobin feels the eager scratches of Christen’s hands pulling up the back of her shirt, she swiftly leans back to face the woman with a careful expression. 

“You sure?” Tobin husks out, almost immediately forgetting her question after seeing her girlfriend’s slightly swollen lips and lust-filled eyes. But she needs verbal confirmation that Christen wants this as well, that this heavy desire between the two isn’t simply a product of their romantic dinner and some tenderly shared words. 

But Christen wants this. Not  _ only _ due to the dream-like experience of coming over to a beautifully homemade dinner or Tobin’s unexpected vulnerability (or realizing that they get to call each other “girlfriends” from here on out). But Christen knows she’s ready because when she imagines coming home, no matter what type of dinner is ready, she can only imagine seeing Tobin’s smiling face. And when she wants or needs to have those vulnerable conversations, she immediately thinks of the safe bubble that Tobin creates. 

And also,  _ fuck _ , Tobin’s looking down at her with a wonderous expression and slight purple bruises already starting to form around her neck just from the time between the end of dinner and getting to the bedroom. 

So to respond to Tobin’s question, Christen gives an affirming nod and answers, “I’m sure, baby.” And to really get her point across, Christen forcefully pulls Tobin’s head down with a hand on the back of the mechanic’s neck and whispers into her ear, “I want this.”, finishing with a light nip at her earlobe.

And Tobin knows she’s a goner. 

With the satisfying confirmation and already being so close in Christen’s space, Tobin starts going to town, leaving her own hickeys on the tan skin below her and grazing her teeth along the woman’s throat. 

The faint gasps of air from Christen only spur her on and when she forcefully grinds her hips down, she’s rewarded with a filthy moan erupting from deep within Christen’s diaphragm. And Tobin’s already thinking of what else she could do to hear that noise again. But before she can get to anything more, she feels slender hands impatiently pulling at the bottom of her shirt again, and Tobin gets the message. She quickly leans up and pulls her shirt over her head in one swift motion. The second that her bare skin is exposed to the cold air of her bedroom, Christen’s hands are already on her, roaming to feel every muscle and surface that she can reach. 

When Tobin plunges back down to continue on Christen’s neck, she unexpectedly gets flipped over with Christen now on top of her. Pushing up with her palms on Tobin’s abdomen, she does the same in removing her blouse, and the mechanic can only watch in absolute amazement, captivated by the expanse of tan skin now readily available to her. 

But Christen goes one step further, quickly reaching behind her back and discarding the last piece of fabric on her upper body and shivering from the cool air on her bare skin. And Tobin, never the most patient person, shoots up from her lying position. With strong hands moving up and down the sides of caramel skin, Tobin aimlessly mouths at the prominent ridges of Christen’s collarbone. And with her head thrown back at the sparks created by Tobin’s fervent lips, Christen doesn’t know if it could get any better than this. 

Until it gets better.

And better.

And with every pleasure-filled scream Christen lets out as a result of three tenacious fingers buried within her, fingers that craft bike frames and create beautiful works of art... 

And with every guttural moan Tobin emits, having a curly head of hair between her legs and a masterful tongue pulling unheard noises out of her... 

The night they share together, naked and eager and carefree, just keeps getting better and better and better… 

~~~

Neither Tobin nor Christen know exactly what time it is or how much time has actually passed. This phenomenon seemed to occur every time the two spent time together. All concepts of time mash together and when the hours passed, they’d pass completely unnoticed. 

As Christen lays with her head on Tobin’s chest, her finger lightly tracing the muscles of the mechanic’s slightly sweaty stomach, she suddenly remembers the exciting yoga studio news she meant to reveal during dinner (before she had gotten a  _ little  _ sidetracked). 

“Oh, we set a date for the grand opening of the studio!” she excitedly informs as she lifts her head slightly to see Tobin still completely blissed out with her closed eyes.

But in hearing this, Tobin’s eyes shoot open and she eagerly angles her head down, joyfully replying, “Baby! That’s awesome!” She gives a sweet kiss to Christen’s damp forehead and wraps her arm around the woman tightly so they’re snuggled closer together in warmth. “Wow, grand opening… I’m so stoked to be there and cheer you on and see you cut the ribbon and I wanna be the first one to sign up for one of your classes.”

“There’s probably not gonna be a ribbon,” Christen laughs at Tobin’s upbeat enthusiasm, though she loves how undoubtedly supportive she is. “But you can definitely be the first to sign up for a class, even though you basically get free classes out of me every morning.” She touches her lips softly to Tobin’s collarbone underneath her. 

“True, but I don’t wanna just awkwardly try to follow whatever poses you do in the mornings. I wanna experience one of your real, legit classes.” the mechanic corrects.

“Oh, not one of Julie’s real, legit classes?” Christen jokes with a teasing tone.

Tobin chuckles and the arm she has around Christen’s shoulder nudges forward, shifting the green eyed woman completely on top of her body. With eyes locked in on each other, Tobin smiles back, “Nah, I’d rather take a class with my  _ favorite _ yoga instructor.”

“Julie’s not your favorite? I might just have to tell her that… she’ll be so heartbroken.” Christen continues her teasing with giggles as she nuzzles her head securely next to Tobin’s. 

“Go ahead.” Tobin grins challengingly. “There’s only one yogi on my mind.”

Christen brings her head back up and they look at each other with warm smiles, their noses less than an inch apart. After a light kiss on the lips, Christen brings her head back down and closes her eyes, inhaling a deep breath of Tobin’s coconut body wash. 

After a few silent minutes, Christen was pretty sure that the woman underneath her would be asleep by now, but she’s surprised as Tobin mutters in the room, “When’s opening day? I should get that into my phone asap.”

“A week from now? I think it’s the first Monday of the month.” Christen responds with exhaustion laced in her words. “Julie thought it was a little soon, but we’re all ready to go so I thought the sooner the better.”

“Monday…” Tobin trails off in thought before abruptly jerking forward, startling the woman that was dozing peacefully on top of her. “Shit! I leave Sunday for my climb up Mt. Washington!” she exclaims with sudden panic.

With the hazy spell of sleep quickly dissipating, Christen lays a comforting hand on Tobin’s heaving sternum, trying to relax the evidently frazzled woman but feeling her own disappointment rise within herself. “Shhh… calm down, Tobs. Let’s just talk this out a little, okay?” she offers and when Tobin nods in response, Christen calmly confirms, “So you leave Sunday.” Tobin nods silently again and Christen asks, “When do you get back?”

With a lowered heart rate and the initial hysteria of the situation fading, Tobin softly explains, “I leave with Kel early Sunday, climb on Monday, rest and recover on Tuesday, and then we get back like late Wednesday. I was gonna invite you to come as well but...” her sentence slowly dies out as the reality of their situation settles in. 

They sit in silence, heads down in thought while they process their contrasting plans. Tobin looks up at the same time that Christen does before shyly speaking. “I wanna be there for your grand opening.” she almost whines with sad, puppy-dog eyes. “I-I wanna be the first to sign up for a class and the first to hug you after the doors open…”

And Christen’s heart breaks a little at the hollowness in the woman’s voice. She brings a gentle hand up to Tobin’s face and softly runs her thumb along her cheek bone. “I know, baby. I want that too. But you know what’s gonna happen on that Monday?” she asks with a timid smile as she tries to hide her disappointment and sound more optimistic than she feels inside. 

“Hmmm?” the mechanic answers, noticing how Christen’s smile doesn’t quite reach those usually vibrant green eyes.

“I’m gonna open up the studio and  _ you _ are gonna bike up some big, scary mountain cause that’s what you’ve been training to do for the last couple months.” Christen declares with as much confidence as she can muster, speaking the plan into existence. 

Tobin solemnly leans her head further into the gentle hand that rests on her face, knowing that that’s what should happen, even if it’s not what she wants to hear. 

“Come on, babe.” Christen coos, leaning them back onto the bed to lay down. “Let’s get some rest and we can talk more about it tomorrow, yeah?”

And Tobin wordlessly nods as she cuddles back into the woman in her arms, tightening her hold around her waist as if it’s the last time she'll be able to.

~~~

Of course Tobin’s brain was too wired that night to really fall asleep. The conflict within her mind was more like a war than just a struggle and she couldn’t turn off the thoughts swarming all around, making her heart beat rapidly. So that morning, after being awake for practically the entire night, Tobin’s the first to slip out of the warmth generated by Christen’s body and she meanders into the dimly lit kitchen.

When Christen awakes without the usual presence of Tobin’s body, she isn’t especially surprised. Even while drifting in and out of sleep that night, Christen was fully aware of when Tobin’s body would squirm in noticeable consciousness. But she couldn’t be mad because she knows that the selfless mechanic is seriously considering postponing her bike trip in order to be there for the yoga studio’s opening and be there for her. The only reason Christen was even able to rest her mind that night is because she’s completely convinced that Tobin needs to do the climb. And that’s that.

So when Christen walks out of the bedroom to find a contemplative Tobin Heath leaning on the kitchen counter, coffee in hand and staring down at the smooth countertop, she knows that morning yoga is probably not on the woman’s agenda for today. 

“ ‘Mornin  _ girlfriend _ … ” Christen calls softly, trying out the new and exciting term.

Tobin looks up in brief surprise as a warm smile grows on her previously stern face. “Good morning,  _ girlfriend _ …” she responds with the same tone. She sets her coffee cup down gently as she opens her arms for an awaited embrace, which Christen walks into without hesitation. 

With the freshness of the morning atmosphere surrounding the two, they hold each other and sway slightly to the silent music of the universe. 

As Tobin pulls back, she leaves her arms around the woman’s shoulders and Christen soothingly rubs her hands up and down Tobin’s sides. A blinding smile makes its way onto Tobin’s face and it only grows wider the longer she stares into those emerald eyes.

“Why’re you looking at me like that?” Christen asks, the range of motion of her arms reaching under the mechanic’s arms and up to her shoulder blades.

Tobin chuckles lightly. “Like what?”

“Like you just won the Kentucky Lottery without having to pay any of the tax.” Christen jokes and Tobin laughs with her.

“Well I  _ do _ get to call you my girlfriend, so that’s not too far off.” the mechanic smoothly replies with a smirk.

Christen laughs again at how cheesy this has all become and how much she loves it. “Wow, I really walked into that one, didn’t I?”

Tobin answers with an affirmative hum as she stays looking at the woman that fits so comfortably in her arms. And as if reading her mind, Christen repeats the plan she had made the night before. “You need to climb that mountain, baby.”

“Weren’t you the one who asked why someone would choose to bike up a mountain, hmm? How could I consider it ‘fun’?” Tobin asks with some sass, but a teasing grin. 

“While I  _ don’t _ know why you think it’s fun,” Christen replies with a laugh. “I  _ do _ know that it’s very important to you.”

And Tobin stays silent because everything Christen says always seems to be true, especially in this instance.

They go about their beloved routine as normal as possible. Christen made them a healthy breakfast and Tobin got ready to head to the shop. While the yoga instructor didn’t have any work that really needed to get done, she still wanted to go through some paperwork to help ease the stress she’ll inevitably have on opening day. Tobin left with a kiss and Christen said bye with an affirmative promise to meet for their lunch at the shop, as usual. 

But the fact that she confirmed their regular lunch date made it all feel a bit unusual. 

~~~

The group of friends ordered personalized cauliflower tempura bowls for lunch. Tobin asked for her bowl to be loaded up with the most amount of additional chicken and the least amount of greens, slightly canceling out the whole “healthy” aspect of the meal. But Kelley’s bowl was packed to the brim with leafy greens. Her bowl was more of a salad topped with cauliflower than a cauliflower bowl itself, and it definitely surprised the friend group when Ashlyn had called it in. 

Another welcomed change to their lives, besides their improved eating habits and Kelley’s new-found love of salads, is the additional member of the staff. Since Kelley was taking way too long to call Emily Sonnett back, letting her know that she had the job, Ashlyn eventually had to inform the other blond at a much later time than what is considered “professional”. Despite the delayed response, Emily was still ecstatic about joining the team.

“I didn’t know you were so big on salads.” Emily comments as she watches Kelley devour her extra-large sized bowl while everyone else munch on their regular sized meals.

The freckled woman blushes in slight embarrassment before chewing, swallowing, and answering, “Y-yeah. Kinda new, um, personal development actually.” To quickly change the subject, Kelley looks over to Tobin and asks, “You excited for the big climb, Tobs?”

This is a subject Tobin very much wanted to avoid, the heartbreaking discussion with Christen still fresh in her mind, so she responds with a simple, “Yea.”

“Well, I’m stoked about it! Probably because I’m not the one having to climb up, like, a 22% gradient.” Kelley chuckles. 

“Oh right, you’re gonna go up Mt. Washington!” Emily remembers, having heard the trip being discussed by the two. 

Tobin nods, still not wanting to get into it anymore as she silently chews on the chicken from her bowl. 

“That’s sick! I’m too much of a wuss to try that shit out.” Emily continues before turning back to Kelley. “Are you going with her?”

“Yea-”

“Actually, Kel… ” Tobin quickly interrupts, a mischievous grin now creeping onto her face. “I think since Sonnett here is new and you two  _ obviously  _ get along super well, maybe Ashlyn could come with me instead and you could hold down the fort with the newbie.”

Panic raises within Kelley’s small body. “Wait, wha-

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea! I’m down.” Ashlyn cuts her off as well, knowing exactly what was stirring. 

With shock written on her face, looking back at Ashlyn, then Tobin, then Emily, then back to Ashlyn, Kelley doesn’t know what to think. She wants to be mad that her best friend just replaced her supportive role with her other best friend, but the thought of hanging out with their new employee makes her heartbeat a little faster. And she doesn’t know whether that’s from nervousness or excitement. 

So she simply nods and mutters softly, “Y-yeah, yeah. That sounds good with me.” When Kelley looks back at Emily’s face, she’s rewarded with a warm smile and a goofy thumbs up, which makes her laugh lightly. 

And Tobin shares a knowing glance with Ashlyn and a quick wink to Christen. 

When their bowls are empty and their trash is cleaned up, the group gets back to work. Kelley continues her unofficial task of showing Emily the ins and outs of the store, while Ashlyn watches with a smirk from her usual position at the front counter. 

Tobin finishes the detailing on one of her favorite paint jobs she’s done so far. Someone had come in asking her to paint a frame with the colors and accents of a US mail truck. She loved the idea immediately and was excited to jump on the project. Looking at the finished product now, with it’s sharp white finish and royal red and blue stripes, Tobin just laughs at how funny the entire concept is. When she cleans up her paint supplies, she slowly approaches Christen, who’s still devotedly working away. 

“Babe?” Tobin starts, getting her girlfriend’s attention before informing, “I think I’m actually gonna leave a bit early today for an extra training session.” 

Christen turns and looks at her curiously, closing her laptop shut with her full attention now on the mechanic before her. “Are you sure? Rest days are really important, Tobs. You know that.”

“Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll keep it easy, I just wanna clear my head and get the blood moving a little bit.” she responds softly, but Christen’s attention hits on the first part of her explanation. 

“Clear your head from having to miss the opening day of the studio ?” Christen questions, even though she knows the answer. With silence from Tobin inadvertently giving her away, Christen slowly stands from her seat and brings her hands up to the woman's face, holding it so very gently, as if Tobin’s defeated expression may completely shatter at any moment. “Baby, you know you have to do this…”

With a sigh, Tobin quietly replies, “I know, I know. Doesn’t make it suck any less.”

And Christen nods because the words are true. Even though she is excited about finally opening up the business and seeing the hours of work everyone had put in finally amounting to something, it was going to be a little less special on opening day without her mechanic-cyclist-goofball-girlfriend there with her. 

“Yeah…” Christen finally murmurs. She leans into the space between them, connecting their lips in a soft, meaningful kiss and hoping that she’ll get lost in their usual time-altering phenomenon of being together.

But reality and time come back when they detach their lips and they stare into the expanse of each other's eyes. 

“Be safe, I’ll see you at dinner tonight?” Christen softly whispers. “My place?”

“ ‘Course. Sounds good.” Tobin verifies before giving a brisk peck to the tan woman’s lips. She goes to get her cycling gear that she leaves in the store for moments like these, where she just needs a spontaneous bike ride. With her helmet and saddle bag ready, she changes into her custom designed bike shorts but leaves her regular work shirt on because she’s opting for an easy ride today. 

Departing directly from the store and with a final kiss and goodbye from Christen, who says she’ll keep working at her apartment before making dinner, Tobin hops onto her bike and heads down the streets. 

To keep it easy, the cyclist starts in the direction of a simple loop around a few blocks. There’s no real plan or anything and Tobin decides to just listen to her body’s intuition as she goes along this improvised route through the city. 

The whole ride goes by in a blur as Tobin can’t keep her mind off of the Mt. Washington climb, and the yoga studio opening, and Christen. Feelings of guilt and questions of what to prioritize bubble inside of her and before she knows it, she’s clocked in  _ a lot _ more miles than she had originally planned. She decides to head back so Christen doesn’t have to wait up for her as she swiftly weaves through the darkening streets of Chicago. 

At a red light, Tobin’s thoughts wrap back around to the internal war she’s been having for basically the entire day. Christen’s presence in her life has made such an unbelievable impact that she almost scoffs at herself for choosing to do some bike climb instead of supporting her girlfriend’s huge accomplishment. And even though Christen had made her opinion about the subject very clear, Tobin decides right then at a Chicago intersection in the nearing hours of nighttime, that she would choose to never race again if it meant being next to Christen’s side. 

This conclusion makes the cyclist’s heart flutter and she takes that bodily response as a confirmation that skipping this climb and going to the yoga studio's grand opening is ultimately the right choice. 

A car honk from behind her brings Tobin out of her thoughts as she looks up and sees that the light has turned green. With her shoes quickly clipped in and her slightly sore legs steadily propelling the bike forward, Tobin’s about ready to head to Christen’s place for a warm shower and an undoubtedly nutritious dinner. 

What Tobin isn’t ready for, is the two ton truck streaking past the adjacent lane’s red light and colliding directly into the cyclists' unsuspecting body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by bike helmets. i know yall hate what ive done but take this as a psa to wear ur frickin helmet when u ride! im just sayin, itd suck if we’re in this quarantine thing and then u just die from fallin on ur unprotected noggin so stay safe! (nd get ready for a bumpy ride, pun intended <3)


	11. crazy things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christen isn’t hungry, Tobin doesn’t respond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well this got dark… but welcome back yall! after many-a-comment sayin how frickin rough the cliffhanger was (which i admit, was a little abrupt on my end), i couldnt leave yall hangin for the whole week so here's a midweek update!
> 
> i luv how i really just reeled yall in w that fluff nd then hit u hard w that drama… anyway see ya on sunday!

Christen anxiously taps her foot on the floor, chewing the skin next to her nails as she stares intensely. She feels like she’s been waiting for centuries and at this point, her initial nervousness is morphing into slight aggravation. 

When the timer goes off, she lets out a sigh of relief, quickly walking over to the oven and checking to see if this experimental salmon looks editable or not. Christen’s trying out a new recipe she found online that consisted of wrapping a fillet of salmon with some veggies in one tinfoil packet, and simply sticking that into the oven to cook. She was hesitant to try a recipe that is so minimal and looks like a contraption she’d lazily put together in her college years, but her interest was piqued and she decided to try it anyway. 

Opening up the oven door, the aromatic smells of herbs and seasonings offer some hope as she takes a spatula and carefully unwraps the tinfoil packaging. The fillet, as well as the vegetables, all look cooked and with a shrug, Christen’s original apprehensions fade away. 

She pulls the two ready-to-eat meals out of the oven and organizes them onto some plates. With basmati rice already cooked and staying warm in the rice cooker, she scoops a serving onto each dish, adding a little extra to Tobin’s since she knows how much the mechanic loves freshly made rice. 

_Freshly made if she gets here in time_ Christen thinks to herself as she checks the clock and realizes that it's getting pretty late. When Tobin had told her that she was going to squeeze in a short, easy ride that day, Christen knew that the ride was probably going to end up being the opposite. But she didn’t object because she knew that Tobin needed the time to process and come to terms with missing the studio’s grand opening, no matter how much it pains both of them. 

~~~

The clock reads 21:47 and Christen’s sitting on her couch with some random tv show playing, but she’s not really paying attention to it. The dinners she prepared are wrapped in some of the extra tinfoil to stay warm and Christen’s already eaten the leftover tomatoes that hadn't been used in cooking the meals. She’s hungry but she doesn’t want to be rude and start eating without Tobin there. Checking her phone for the fifth time that minute, she starts getting worried about the cyclist who really should’ve made it back by now. 

_Maybe she decided to take a shower at her place before coming over and forgot to text me…_ she reasons with herself, but that doesn’t stop her from looking at her phone a sixth time, ignoring all other notifications she has and, unfortunately, being met with the same absence of messages from the one person she wants to see before the night ends.

~~~

**[Christen <3]:**

**_Hey babe, I know this is like the eleventh time I’ve texted you, but I’m going to start on dinner because I think my stomach is starting to eat itself hahaha._ **

She tries to not sound worried or annoyed but she is, in fact, worried and annoyed at the radio silence from the other woman. 

**_Please let me know when you might be over or if you might be over. You’re probably just showering or something, but if the ride this afternoon was draining and you’d rather just stay at your place tonight, that’s totally fine! <3_ **

Christen hesitates to text anything more, afraid that she’s already sounding way too clingy for just recently putting a label on their relationship. She tries to push away any negative emotions about the lack of reply because she’s seen Tobin purposefully ignore notifications from her phone, especially if the mechanic is focused on something. 

And she tries to push away the fact that Tobin’s never ignored her texts, always responding surprisingly fast whenever Christen messages her about anything, no matter how seemingly insignificant.

But Christen drops her phone onto the couch and goes to unwrap the tinfoil that covers her now lukewarm salmon fillet. 

~~~

With her dinner eaten and Tobin’s plate now sitting in the fridge, Christen comes to the conclusion that Tobin probably isn’t coming over tonight. She’s a bit bothered because she wishes she was informed of this change in plan, especially before making two fresh dinners for them, but she sends out another text to the missing woman.

**[Christen <3]:**

**_I think maybe you've accidentally fallen asleep, so I just fridged your dinner and you can heat it up tomorrow._ **

Again, Christen hesitates to write the many thoughts going through her head right now, but she eventually decides, what’s another message to add to the twenty she’s already sent. 

**_I know you may be conflicted about not being able to come to the studio’s opening day, but I truly want you to go on that bike climb, babe. And when you come back, we can have our own celebration about the studio as well as your big trek up the mountain ;)_ **

As she’s about to shut off her phone and take a relaxing shower before bed, she shoots off one last message to Tobin, any worry of sounding too clingy having flown out the window by now. 

**_Please text or call as soon as you can, just to let me know your thoughts on the studio or the bike trip or anything really. I know I’ll see you tomorrow at lunch anyway and I might be sounding like a crazy girlfriend right now, but I miss hearing your voice. I’ll see you tomorrow baby <3_ **

And with that, she completely powers off her phone and heads towards her very inviting shower to wash off the day’s disappointing emotions.

~~~

Christen doesn’t quite “wake up” the next day because she never really fell asleep in the first place. She realizes that Tobin’s been like her dose of melatonin these past weeks, having easily been able to fall asleep to the metronome of the woman’s breathing behind her ear every night. She also realizes how spoiled she’s been every morning, getting to wake up in the comfort of Tobin’s arms and the sauna of her body heat around them. 

This morning feels like one of the slowest she’s ever experienced, her eyes and body screaming at her for more rest, but her mind staying alert _just_ enough to not lend her that luxury. Christen sluggishly rolls over to check the time on her phone, only to be met with an unresponsive black screen and she remembers that she had shut down her phone the night before. She holds down the specific buttons needed to turn the device back on and when it lights up in consciousness, she leaves it slowly activating on the bed while she tries to get the day started. 

It’s funny, but also borderline sad, how lost Christen feels in her routine without Tobin there. She finds herself forgetting to do simple tasks and wandering around almost aimlessly, as if she’s lost in her own small studio apartment. 

It’s practically laughable when she pauses before starting her yoga session, waiting for the mechanic to hurriedly walk in with her yoga mat, drag the coffee table out of the way, and join her, but suddenly Christen remembers that Tobin won't be accompanying her this morning. 

She’s downright confused for a moment when she grabs a mug and the usually steaming coffee pot is empty, realizing that Tobin is always the one to start a fresh batch in the mornings. 

Getting ready takes almost twice as long without the company of her girlfriend, as they’d usually work in a perfectly synchronized manner to start their days, doing little tasks for each other that Christen never realized really makes the mornings faster and more enjoyable. 

She almost forgets that her phone is activated by now, but she quickly turns on the device and sees an abundance of missed calls and unread texts. _I know I ignored some of these last night, but this is kinda a lot._

Before checking any other notifications, she hastily opens her chat with Tobin, frowning when she sees that her string of texts from the night before have gone unread and with no response. 

Christen sighs in disappointment. She’s honestly a little irked by the whole situation, but she just pockets her phone in irritation, rubs the last bits of sleep or annoyance or whatever she’s feeling out of her face, and grabs her things to head out the door. 

~~~

Christen’s at the finished yoga studio, triple-checking everything and making final calls to various workers when a notification to head over to “Helping Heath’s” for lunch pings on her phone. She almost forgot she had set that daily reminder, usually not needing it anyway and dismissing the alert early. But today she’s been able to keep her mind busy enough to not incessantly check the time for the her friends’ lunch break. 

She almost considers not going, the slight frustration she felt last night at being ignored has slowly grown throughout the morning into full-fledged annoyance. But ultimately, Christen decides to head to the store, overcoming her stubbornness and realizing that she actually wants to confront Tobin in person about her missing appearance these past twelve hours. 

As she walks closer to the shop, her eyebrows pinch in confusion at the darkness of the usually brightly lit store. It looks closed, which doesn’t make sense because it’s a regular work day with regular hours. _Is there a race today?_ Christen asks herself, trying to remember if Tobin had mentioned any events that the store is running today, but nothing comes to mind. 

When she tries the front door, it's locked shut and through the glass windows, past the rows of bikes displayed, Christen doesn’t see Ashlyn, or anybody, milling around. She walks to the back of the building to find that the shop door is closed and, despite her effort, locked as well. 

Christen fishes her phone out of her purse to text Tobin or Ashlyn or Kelley about this bizarre anomaly when she sees that the abundance of notifications she’d neglected this morning has nearly tripled. Fear strikes deep within Christen’s bones as she hastily opens her text conversation with Ashlyn first, finding a nerve-racking amount of messages that all read along the lines of:

**_CALL ME!!_ **

**_Please answer your phone!_ **

**_Christen, get back to me or Kelley asap! PLEASE!_ **

Her hands are now trembling at these string of eerie messages as she hurriedly pulls up Ashlyn contact and hits the call button. She barely hears the first ring on the other end of the line before Ashlyn’s panicked voice answers the call. 

“Christen! Where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you for like the last fourteen hours!” Ashlyn shouts in one hectic breath.

“I-I’m sorry, I’ve just been a little out of it I guess. I’m at the shop right now but it looks closed. Where are you guys?” Christen asks, her voice wavering in fear.

She hears Ashlyn let out a deep sigh before revealing somberly, “Chris, Tobin’s been in a bike accident.”

Christen almost drops her phone. Her whole body almost drops to the ground as her heart stops beating for a second, or a minute, or an hour. The only way she knows she’s alive is through her now ragged breathing and the increasing shakiness of her hands. It’s like an out of body experience in the worst way possible. It feels like a movie, like she’s watching herself in some fictional drama and she’s waiting for the ability to simply get up and walk through the exit if the movie becomes too scary. But here, she can’t simply exit reality, no matter how horrifying it is. 

She’s only brought out of this daze when Ashlyn starts to explain in a low tone, “Last night some idiot punk ran a red with his fucking four wheeler and-and…” The blond can’t seem to finish her sentence as her timid voice breaks, the shock of it all still tight in her chest. But Ashlyn knows that she doesn’t need to recall the entire accident, that Christen has already put enough pieces together, so she spares the yoga instructor the gruesome details. 

But the foreign vulnerability in Ashlyn’s voice sends a shiver down Christen’s spine.

“We’re at Northwestern Memorial, Chris. Get here and I’ll explain the rest.” Ashlyn instructs with as much confidence as she can pull together, wanting to clarify the events to Christen in person. 

She doesn’t get a response as Christen ends the call and runs in the direction of her car. 

~~~

After parking and seeing the recognizable glass sliding doors, Christen’s heart continues to pound in her chest and her hands get acutely sweaty. She’s never been a fan of hospitals. She’d always avoided having to go to these medical institutions in any way possible, no matter if she’s got a little cut or she’s coughing up blood. To her, hospitals represent the undeniable pain of the world, with its white, shiny rooms filled with the sick and the injured. 

But Tobin is in there now, as one of the sick and injured. 

And Christen _has_ to see her. 

So she gulps down her anxiety of being in the freakishly clean building as she makes her way through the entrance. Her uneasiness fades slightly when she sees a blond, tattooed woman quickly stand from her seat and lock eyes with her. Ashlyn is able to open her arms just in time for the green eyed woman to fling herself in a desperate embrace. 

Christen doesn’t know if it's the fear or the nerves or the confusion of it all, but a river of tears start streaming down the valleys of her face and her breathing becomes short and labored. All Ashlyn can do is try and calm the woman in her arms, running her hands over the curly, black hair and offering soothing words. 

Once Christen’s calmed down enough, Ashlyn moves them back to the uncomfortably small seats of the waiting area, facing the woman before getting right to the point. “Tobin’s in surgery right now.” 

And that’s all Ashlyn can say before Christen starts sobbing again, so the blond waits patiently until she can speak more clearly. “The doctor told us that she broke a few ribs and I guess her arm and leg got a lot of the impact. B-but he- um… he said…” Ashlyn’s sentence gets choppy as a few stray tears fall from her own somber eyes. She holds back her emotions as she achingly continues, “He said that the most concerning thing is the damage she got to her head. I didn’t really understand everything he told us because they weren’t exactly sure about the extent of the damage yet, but… I guess there was some… bleeding? In her brain or something? And it’s… it’s serious.” She finally finishes and all they can do is cry. 

Christen doesn’t care about the concerned looks she’s getting from the people around her. She lets herself breakdown and cry and feel and Ashlyn’s right there next to her, fighting back her own tears because she cried enough when she heard the news from Kelley. 

Finally, in a broken whisper, Christen mutters, “When can we see her?”

And Ashlyn’s glossy eyes look back at her apologetically. “I don’t know, Chris.” she replies weakly. “Kel’s still talking with the doctor about specifics, but she’s going to come down soon and we’re gonna go get some lunch. Kelley got the call about it late last night and I don’t think either of us have eaten anything since.”

The two women wait in silence, Christen hunched over in her seat with her face buried in her hands as Ashlyn rubs comforting circles on the woman’s back. 

Christen’s brain tries to replay the moment leading up to this, trying to make sense of everything that’s happened from when she last bid the mechanic farewell the day before. She thinks of the plethora of texts waiting on Tobin’s phone that she never had the chance to read and all the calls and texts Christen had gotten last night but carelessly ignored. _If I had just looked at those other notifications sooner..._

When the soothing motions on her back stop, Christen looks up and sees an expressionless Kelley marching towards them. Ashlyn and Christen shoot up out of their seats as they meet Kelley in the middle of the waiting room. 

“Well?” Ashlyn breaths out in a questioning tone.

Kelley only responds with “Let’s go.” as she stomps past the two and heads straight through the sliding hospital doors. Ashlyn and Christen wordlessly follow after her, confused and slightly afraid of the sternness in their friend’s usually peppy voice. 

~~~

They walk to a nearby Italian place, not a single word exchanged between the three of them and the unusual silence puts them all on edge. 

Once they find a table and sit themselves down in clear exhaustion, a woman comes to take their drink orders, but Kelley immediately starts ordering large-sized everythings from the menu without hesitation. The waitress is caught off guard, but writes everything down without question. Kelley orders two large pizzas, an extra large salad, and a side of mozzarella sticks and Ashlyn seems to know that they’re not going to be shared, so she asks for a meatball sub for herself. Christen, without much of an appetite, orders a small side salad. 

During the entire time they wait for their food to arrive, the table is silent. Christen is itching to ask questions and Ashlyn wants some more information as well, but they know that Kelley will talk when she’s ready to talk. 

It’s only when their food has arrived and Kelley’s ravenously eaten almost half of one of her pizzas that she finally speaks up. 

“Brain bleed.” Kelley simply states and Ashlyn and Christen’s heads pop up, not expecting her to speak. “Blood vessels burst and pooled in her brain. It’s called a subdural hematoma. It started building pressure within her skull. Doctors put a probe in her to monitor the pressure and they had to take her straight to surgery when they arrived at the crash site. They’re trying to relieve the pressure so we’ll see what happens. She may even be out of surgery by the time we get back.” 

Kelley explains the grizzly details in such a casual tone that Christen almost gags on the one piece of lettuce she’s eaten. Ashlyn’s also gone pale with only a single bite taken out of her sandwich and she pushes her dish away from her for a few gut wrenching moments. 

“The asshat that hit her ditched his truck afterwards, but obviously the police are gonna check who the truck’s registered to. That dumb fuck…” Kelley’s obviously seething at this detail and Christen thinks that maybe that’s why the freckled woman isn’t as emotionally distraught as the rest of them. She’s focusing all of her emotions on being angry at this reckless driver, perhaps to save herself from the inevitable heartache of her friend’s match with death. It’s a very “Kelley” thing to do and Christen almost envies her for it. 

The two simply listen to the explanation without any remarks, no other words can really be said about the situation. They finish their food, Kelley devouring hers before Ashlyn can even eat half of her sandwich. Christen’s salad goes untouched for the rest of lunch.

They walk back to the hospital in the same silence as before and they get to the dull hospital to wait for any more news about their friend’s life. Ali, Ashlyn’s wife, comes in soon after, hugging Ashlyn tightly before hugging Kelley as well. Christen exchanges a quick introduction with her, wishing that they could have met at a less burdensome time but knowing that they’ll do more formal introductions when the whole thing is over.

And then they continue waiting.

And they all seem to handle the seemingly endless waiting in different ways. 

Ashlyn sits with Ali quietly and holds her hand tightly. They share a few whispers with one another as the blond fiddles with the wedding band on Ali’s hand. 

Kelley paces around the waiting room, continuously buying snacks from the vending machine as she slowly drains the machine of all of its food. When she uses up her last bit of change for a bag of skittles, Christen wordlessly hands Kelley her own wallet, offering a tight-lipped smile in response to the freckled woman’s stern but thankful eyes. 

Christen just stares off as the world moves around her. Occasionally her eyes flicker to Ashlyn when the blond uncomfortably shifts in her chair or her head whips towards Kelley when she bangs on the vending machine glass in frustration if it delivers her food too slowly for her likeness. 

After what feels like years of staring at the strangely unsettling pattern of the carpet, a tall man in a white coat with a clipboard starts approaching them. 

Ashlyn stands up quickly, followed by Ali, and when Kelley sees the man she nearly drops her bag of trail mix and sprints over to the group. Christen doesn’t think she has the energy to move but before she knows it her body stands to meet with the doctor that could easily shatter her world with his words. 

“Are you guys here for Tobin Heath?” the man asks. 

The group wordlessly nods, all holding their breath for what’s about to come. 

He continues, “My name is Doctor Clark and I’m happy to inform you that Tobin’s surgery was ultimately successful.”

The whole group lets out a collective sigh of relief at the news, tears of happiness springing to all of their eyes.

“To remove the subdural hematoma - the cause of the pressure within her skull - we conducted a craniotomy, in which we removed a portion of her skull near the area of hemorrhaging to drain the excess blood and alleviate the built up pressure.” Dr. Clark explains with a light smile but Christen stopped listening after the first sentence. “Luckily the driver was braking before the collision and Tobin was wearing a pretty robust helmet. She seemed to know what she was doing.”

Despite not understanding a word of what he said about the horrific sounding procedure, the group is all breathing a bit easier now that they know their friend’s life-threatening injury is cared for. 

“We’ll perform some additional procedures on her leg at a later time, it looks as though the femur was severely damaged and thankfully her arm wasn’t in a very compromising position during the collision. But we’ll address those injuries after she’s had some time to recover from the craniotomy. Our main concern when she came in was the hemorrhaging in her brain.” the doctor adds. “And while the surgery was successful in eliminating this immediate threat, I do need to give fair warning that there may still be some lingering effect of this procedure. She underwent extensive brain surgery, after all, and currently, we as doctors can not predict what possible developments may appear during her recovery.”

“When can we see her?” Kelley rushes out, almost not letting the doctor finish his sentence. 

“I can take you to her now.” Dr. Clark responds with the same warm smile, unbothered by almost being cut off. “I just want to bring attention to the fact that there are a lot of unknowns concerning the effects of brain surgery. She may not be very receptive and we’ll need to see how she responds to recovery. We’re going to keep her under observation after her surgeries are complete to see if there are any other issues that may need immediate attention, but if not, then she’ll be free to start recovery and physical therapy.”

They follow Dr. Clark through the shiny halls of the hospital, walking closely next to him as he leads them up the elevator and to a room labeled 1798. Before entering, he turns around to face the eager group. “So, we did hear her say a few noncoherent words post-surgery but, again, we don’t know if that ability will remain present.” He calmly slides open the glass door to the room and pulls back a blue curtain surrounding the hospital bed.

In a white paper gown, wires connected around her pale body, Tobin lays motionless with her eyes closed in the slightly inclined bed. Anyone looking at her would assume she was dead, but at the stirring of the curtain, her droopy, tired eyes slowly flutter open and dart around to the five people shuffling near her. 

“I’ll give you all a minute.” Dr. Clark says softly, leaving the room with a wholesome smile.

Once the doctor is swiftly out of the room, the group crowds around Tobin’s tiny-looking body, worry smeared on all of their faces. 

“Hey ya Tobs.” Ashlyn starts, trying to sound a little upbeat but it comes out with more melancholy than anything else. “H-how are you feeling?”

They’re unsure if they’ll get a response, but surprisingly, Tobin mutters in a low, grainy voice, “Super.” the one word answer quickly followed by a slightly dimmed Tobin Heath grin, but it shines nonetheless.

And the air in the room suddenly feels a little less constricting.

After talking to the mechanic about the procedure and what to do about the store and what they had learned about the truck driver (Kelley passionately voicing her anger about that), they wind up staying longer than planned. Christen didn’t speak the entire time, still shaken up, but she’s happy listening to the others speak as she gazes upon Tobin’s fatigued face. She doesn’t even really listen to any of the other words coming out of her friends’ mouth. The only thing she can do is look upon the intricacies of her girlfriend’s face and soak up every detail she possibly can, taking the time to be appreciative and grateful and thankful.

The whole conversation is pretty one-sided, with Tobin offering a few words here and there, and they start to notice the fighting sleepiness in the mechanic’s eyelids as the darkness of night appears through the hospital room window. 

Ali’s finally the one to call it as she announces, “Alright, let’s give the girl some rest everyone.”

Despite not wanting to leave Tobin for the night (and for the rest of their lives, ever) the group relents and they say their farewells and some last words of gratitude that Tobin’s alive and functioning and on the road to recovery.

Ashlyn, Ali, and Kelley are crowded near the door as Christen stays close to Tobin's bed to say her goodbye. Still unable to really form any words, Christen says goodbye in the form of a light, meaningful kiss to the mechanic’s forehead and Tobin can feel a watery tear fall onto her skin as Christen pulls her lips away with glossy eyes. When Tobin sees the somber expression on Christen’s face, a couple more tears making their way out of her overcast green eyes, her own heart breaks. She never wants to see her girlfriend like this ever again.

Just as Christen walks across the room to leave with their friends, Tobin suddenly utters, “Christen”, in a painful sounding grunt. Four heads whip back at her and Christen timidly takes a step towards the mechanic, wondering what made the woman call to her.

“What is it babe?” Christen asks softly, taking a couple more steps back into the room. 

“Remember… what I had to tell you… that first night with you?” the mechanic asks with a groan and choppy breathing.

Christen eyebrows pinch in confusion at the jumble of words, but she attributes the confusing dialogue to the high amount of pain medication being pumped through Tobin’s body right now. “Umm, no. What did you tell me?” she responds, half expecting some delusional, drug-induced remark. 

Mentally and physically preparing for the tremendous amount of pain she’s about to endure in her side from talking too much, Tobin finally mutters with a slight smirk, “ ‘We all do some crazy things when we like someone.’ ”

It comes out a bit sluggish and the words don’t make complete sense in this particular situation, but it's a heavily drugged, Tobin-like way of telling Christen that it’ll be okay. That they’ll get through this and come out on the other side with laughs and joy and happiness (despite every other emotion that seems to oppose that).

And the uncontrollable hint of a smile that forms on Christen’s face at her girlfriend’s romantic goofiness makes the violent aching in Tobin’s body completely worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by all the health care providers out there, workin the work during this pandemic! dr. clark out here bein the dopest (also the og’s r gonna understand the end part but if ur confused u might wanna go reread chap. 8 hehehe idk why my brain works like this when i write but it does nd theres no way to stop it).


	12. Room 1798

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin notices, Christen notices, Kelley keeps a secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick q if yall dont mind me askin: im super ahead on writing rn, so should i start posting twice a week? it probably wont last too long but at least for a lil while. it might help me proof chapters cause i dont have to go back and try to remember whats been done in the plot, but i just dont wanna bombard yall w too many updates since theres been some other really great stories updating recently. just lemme know, whether in a comment or via tumblr! <3

Despite trying to avoid hospitals her entire life, Christen spends the majority of her days in this Chicago medical institution, specifically in room 1798. 

Tobin has been recovering as well as anyone could hope - her body slowly healing itself with every new day. 

After the immediate brain surgery, the mechanic had to undergo additional surgery on her leg. Christen chose to politely exit the room when Dr. Clark was going over the details of that operation, not wanting to hear any more gruesome details of any more surgeries. But based on the brief, not-so gruesome summary from Kelley, Tobin’s leg “is basically going to be entirely metal like some terminator type shit”. And that’s all Christen really wants to know about that. 

With the brain surgery and the work on her leg, Tobin’s other injuries seem relatively minuscule, which is saying something. Her ribs and her arm were apparently clean breaks - injuries that will heal with the right amount of care and, unfortunately, the medicine of time. But eventually, she starts healing and the trauma on her body gradually drifts into a tightly locked box labeled “the past”. Color starts returning to Tobin’s previously lifeless face and she starts speaking more since doing so doesn’t seem to send a lightning bolt of pain through her body. 

And that’s something Christen is very grateful for, Tobin’s ability to be able to speak her thoughts aloud. It’s a skill she never thought to be appreciative of, but when Dr. Clark had mentioned that this ability to speak may not be permanent, Christen found herself waiting on every word her girlfriend was able to mutter out. 

But there’s one thing that caught her eye from the first few visits, something almost visibly insignificant that Tobin herself hasn’t seemed to notice, but Christen can’t seem to  _ not _ notice every time it happens. 

Periodically, whether it’s when Christen is spooning pudding into Tobin’s mouth or when they’re lightly chatting about something, Christen’s will see the mechanic’s left hand twitch uncontrollably. 

At first, she reasoned that perhaps it’s just Tobin’s natural need to fidget, especially being confined to a hospital bed for much longer than desired. But after some late night research (something that’s been occupying all of Christen’s time recently), her anxieties increased at reading about the possibility of traumatic brain injury patients having damaged motor skills. 

The fears of what that would mean for the shop and for cycling and for Tobin’s livelihood creep inside of her every time she sees that hand suddenly jerk about. 

But she pushes her worries aside because Tobin doesn’t seem to notice or be bothered by it and she doesn’t want that bright Tobin Heath smile that’s only recently been starting to make a regular appearance, to ever leave again. 

Christen reminds herself to bring it up with Dr. Clark when she gets the chance.

~~~

“God, my ten year old self would faint in hearing this, but I think I’m seriously getting sick of chocolate pudding.” Tobin sighs with a soft chuckle as she finishes her fourth cup of the dessert before noon. 

Christen stands and throws the empty container into the pile that’s formed in the trash can. She smiles faintly at Tobin’s joke (her humorous characteristic has also been slowly coming back with her increased health), but the desired laugh that the mechanic was hoping for doesn’t occur. And it makes her frown. 

Tobin knows that her girlfriend is hurting but is putting on a brave face for the sake of trying to spread some positive light on the situation. She knows that Christen would rather be anywhere else, but is here for the minimal conversation and the company of the injured woman. She sees the already dimmed light in those green eyes disappear completely when Christen looks away and it just makes Tobin want to fight harder to get back to how things were before - to get back to normal. 

“Ya’know, I’ve been talking to the doc about gettin out of this bed.” Tobin mentions, trying to bring some hope back to those solemn green eyes. 

It works as Christen’s mood seems to lighten a bit. “Really? Are you sure you’re ready? Does everything seem to be okay?” she rapid fires and Tobin just smiles with adoration at her girlfriend. 

“Yes,  _ dear _ . Everything seems good, everything feels good, and I’m definitely ready to get out of this freaking hospital bed.” Tobin assures her. It’d been almost a week since the femur surgery and the only reason Tobin hadn’t been allowed to start assisted walking or physical therapy is the uncertainty surrounding her additional brain trauma. Neither of them know exactly what’s been impaired or what mental effects that mental injury has yet to reveal, but physically, Tobin is ready. She feels good and she is  _ definitely  _ ready to get up and moving. “Clark says that maybe I can try some assisted walking with a PT tomorrow and start there. Apparently it can take anywhere from 12 weeks to a year for full recovery. But I’m aiming for the former of the two if I get a choice.” 

Of course Christen is extremely excited about this new development. She can only imagine what it’d be like to go from cycling and training almost everyday to being bed ridden in the blink of an eye. But she reminds herself to keep expectations low. In her late night research, she’d read that it’s obviously important to stay positive about traumatic brain injury recovery, but to also stay realistic. This could be a long journey for Tobin and Christen just wants her to take everything one day at a time. 

“That’s great baby.” she replies pensively and while she wears a smile because she  _ is  _ happy about the progress, the way the smile just as quickly falters doesn’t go unnoticed by Tobin. 

Dr. Clark enters the room with his clipboard, a nurse behind him, and the same warm smile. “Hey Tobin, how’re ya feelin today?” he asks in a kind tone.

“Feelin good, ‘specially with this one still putting up with me.” the mechanic teases cheerily, looking over to Christen who just offers a timid smile. 

Dr. Clark nods, walking to a monitor that Tobin seems to be hooked up to before scribbling something down on his clipboard and responding, “That’s fantastic to hear.” The nurse walks around Tobin’s bed and Christen self consciously takes a few steps back to get out of the way. “Well we should run some additional scans while you’re up and in the mood.” he states before looking in the direction of the clearly uncomfortable yoga instructor to start to say something. 

Before the doctor says a word to her, Christen hastily announces, “I should get going. I told Julie that I’d meet her for lunch, so…” She grabs her purse from where it's hanging on her seat before leaning in to give Tobin her customary goodbye kiss. 

“Oh, um. Bye.” Tobin sputters out in slight confusion, not expecting the yoga instructor to leave so suddenly. 

“Bye, Tobs.” Christen replies with another peck before quickly exiting the room, not because she wants to leave Tobin’s side, but because she’s barely holding on. 

But Tobin notices. 

~~~

“Chris?”

“Chris.”

“Christen!”

Christen is brought out her head as her best friend has to practically shout across the table to get her attention. She sees the confusion and worry on Julie’s face. “Uh, sorry Jules. Kinda spaced out there… what were you saying?” she quickly covers up, trying  _ really _ hard to focus on Julie and the words that are being spoken to her and actually being present in the moment with her friend/business partner. 

The blond just sighs sympathetically. “Chris…” she starts saying and Christen already hates how much pity is laced in her voice. “I’m… I’m worried about you.”

_ Yeah, no shit Jules. I’m worried about me too _ Christen thinks to herself briefly before pushing those thoughts away to try and be more positive.

“I know what happened to Tobin is scary and I know that as her girlfriend - and just a compassionate person in general - you’re worrying yourself sick with how things are gonna play out.” Julie calmly states. Christen opens her mouth to protest, but Julie quickly contines. “And before you say anything about needing to be supportive and positive for Tobin's sake, I think you may need to realize that Tobin probably doesn’t want you to derail your life because she’s stuck in the hospital right now. I mean, you said she was really sad when she found out that we pushed the studio’s opening day back.”

“ ‘Derail’ is kinda a strong word, Jules.” the tan woman bites back, not wanting to be reminded of Tobin’s somber expression at that piece of news and also of how much she’s been neglecting that spiritual part of her life. When she sees Julie’s eyes widen a bit in shock at her tone, she’s quick to apologize with a sigh. “I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that. I… I know that you’re just trying to be supportive because you care about me.”

“I do care about you. I care a whole lot. And it’s okay for you to feel angry and react to this. I mean, that’s the most human thing for you to do.” Julie proceeds, trying to be understanding for her friend. “But Chris, the last thing Tobin wants is for you to disregard your  _ own _ healing process. It sounds like Tobin’s getting healthier?”

Christen nods with a halfhearted smile, remembering the hopeful bit of news she’d learned today. “Yeah. She says she’s going to try some easy walking tomorrow.”

Julie’s smile grows as she leans back in her chair. “See? She seems to be getting better physically, mentally, and emotionally. And I think she’d want you to try and start healing emotionally as well.”

And Christen just nods understandingly as she silently continues eating the lunch they’d ordered. 

~~~

After her emotional lunch with Julie, Christen heads straight back to the hospital. When she reaches the front desk, she sees Kelley in the corner of her eye, anger radiating from her small body as she clutches a phone against her ear. Christen walks over just as the woman ends the call with a forceful tap on the screen. She lets out a huff before seeing Christen walk over.

“Is everything alright, Kel?” Christen asks softly, taking a seat next to her and seeing some papers laying on her lap as well as the seat on the other side of her. 

“Besides my best friend being hit by a truck and having to spend her days laying in a hospital bed? Oh yeah, everything’s just dandy.” Kelley spits out, her words physically shooting bullets into Christen’s body. When Kelley sees the pain in the yoga instructor's eyes, she sighs and rubs her hands over her eyes before responding again. “Everything’s fine. I’m just trying to get through these papers that are frustrating the  _ hell _ out of me.” she explains through gritted teeth.

Christen knows not to take any of Kelley’s acidic words to heart- it seems like everybody’s hurting these days. So she just lightly squeezes her friend’s shoulder as an acceptance of the unspoken apology before taking the papers to inspect herself. 

They’re bills essentially, for Tobin’s operations and medical treatments. They’re bills that come out to a lot of money, and Christen starts to understand why their freckled friend is so frustrated. “I don’t know what to do. Tobin’s insurance can cover part of it but the remaining cost is still way more than what any of us can afford.” Kelley groans, shaking her head as she gazes at the floor. 

“How did you get a hold of these?” Christen asks, knowing how tight hospitals are with security and billing.

“Power of fucking attorney.” the shorter woman mutters with a low chuckle. “Tobs and I kinda meant it as a joke - like a ‘pull the plug if it comes to that’ sorta thing… I don’t know, it sounds fucked up now but it was funny when we decided to do it.” 

Flipping through all of the papers, Christen suggests, “I mean, we should probably ask Tobin how she wants to go about it. With loans or maybe she has something saved up-”

“No.” Kelley interrupts aggressively before calming herself down once again. “No, I don’t want Tobs to worry about this right now. She needs to focus on getting healthy.” She takes the papers back before making direct eye contact with Christen. She’s never seen Kelley’s eyes so forceful, almost bleeding desperation. “Christen, don’t tell her about this, okay?”

“Kelley…” she sighs but the hardness of her friend’s eyes remain fixed on her.

“Christen. If she finds out about this, she’s gonna make some rash decision with the excuse of not wanting handouts when we both know that Tobin can not afford this by herself.” Kelley states and Christen chews her bottom lip because she's right. “We can talk to her about this when she gets better, but for now, I can handle this. I  _ will _ handle this, okay?” 

Christen’s hesitant, but she nods, hoping that maybe if she believes Kelley’s words enough, they’ll become true. 

Kelley’s piercing eyes finally break contact as her phone begins ringing. She gives an unconvincing smile to Christen before standing and answering the call. 

~~~

Christen doesn’t mention the medical expenses when she sees Tobin’s wide smile upon entering her room that day. 

She doesn’t mention it when she cheers Tobin on, the mechanic white-knuckling two supportive rails next to her as she concentrates on moving her legs under her.

Christen continues to hold her tongue when Tobin starts to form a little stutter - Dr. Clark explaining how speech impediments have been found to develop with recovering brain injury patients. 

Christen doesn’t say anything when tears stream down her face, watching Tobin take her first unassisted steps outside of her room. Ashlyn, Ali, Kelley, and Emily all stand in the hall with her, jumping up and down and celebrating this milestone together. 

She doesn't even think about the looming hospital bills when she patiently listens to Tobin let out her frustrations about not recovering fast enough and physical therapy taking too long. The mechanic’s stutter gradually becomes more apparent with every forceful word she lets out and the inability to clearly express her thoughts only fuels her frustrations. 

And Christen almost accidentally mentions the expenses when Tobin’s finally been discharged (almost all injuries being sufficiently healed besides the continuing recovery of her leg) and she wants Christen to drive them straight to the pharmacy to pick up her prescribed medication (medication that much to Christen's already worried mind, includes a plethora of pain management medication as well as anti-seizure prescriptions). 

But before any information about the expenses escapes her lips, Christen catches herself and promptly keeps it buried within her head as she takes them to the closest CVS. 

~~~

After a while, things  _ do _ seem to get back to normal. 

But it's not exactly the same normal as before. 

Their morning yoga is replaced with Christen constantly reminding Tobin to take her pills. Instead of Tobin going to work at the store or Christen heading to the now-finished yoga studio, Tobin goes to physical therapy and Christen takes her there to sit and watch her girlfriend’s progress. 

Despite not wanting to even think about the studio - securely placing that responsibility on the back burner once all this had happened, Tobin basically forces Christen to set another opening day with a new sense of excitement that the mechanic will now be able to make it. 

After PT, they go to the shop to join the others for their lunch break and Christen occasionally catches Tobin’s eyes staring longingly at her dusty workbench. She was able to convince the mechanic to take the first couple weeks off of work just to get acclimated to their new routine, much to Tobin’s disappointment. 

Afternoons previously filled with cycling sessions are now replaced with naps and rest and laying on Christen’s couch with a cheesy movie playing in the background. 

Christen notices how antsy her girlfriend’s getting. And how frustrated. 

Tobin’s frustrated with not getting to work and still having to go to physical therapy sessions when she claims that she feels physically functional. She’s frustrated with the stutter that still occasionally occurs when she’s talking, usually when she's ranting about things that irritate her (such as having to go to PT still) or simply when she's excited about something. And Tobin’s frustrated that every time she picks something up, her hand shakes slightly. She tries to hide this whenever Christen’s around, blaming dropped cups on how inherently slippery they are or pretending that she meant to skip their usual tv channels when her finger presses the wrong button on the remote.

But Christen notices. 

~~~

“Baby, are you ready to go?” Christen yells from the kitchen, waiting for the mechanic to finish putting on her shoes. 

When she’s finally able to tie the bow on her laces, Tobin stands and eagerly bounces towards the door. “Yup!” 

Christen smiles, looping her arm with Tobin's as they head out the door. 

Today is Tobin’s first day back at work in two weeks and Christen has made sure to clear her schedule to be with the mechanic and see to it that everything goes as smoothly as possible. She talked to Ashlyn the night before and they had agreed to let Tobin come in and stay in the shop after their daily lunch breaks to try some very minimal jobs.

When they pull into the back lot, Christen’s heart flutters as she sees Tobin’s wide eyes and gleaming smile - like a kid at an amusement park. Tobin’s halfway out of the seat before the tan woman has even parked the car and she chuckles to herself when Tobin hurriedly jumps out of the car and beelines to the shop door. 

“Hey! Look who it is!” Kelley shouts as Tobin leaps into the shop, a gigantic smile on her face and Christen following after. 

Ashlyn quickly walks in to greet the two, immediately engulfing Tobin into a tight embrace. When the blond finally lets go, she happily says, “Good to see ya Tobs!” before turning to Kelley and remarks with a teasing grin, “Stop yelling in the store, spaz.” Kelley just scoffs and gives Tobin a hug as well. 

“You guys have no idea how good it is to get back to working.” Tobin energetically lets out with relief. “I’ve been going c-crazy without a frame in my hands.”

The slight stammer doesn’t go unnoticed by Kelley or Ashlyn, but they don’t draw attention to it. 

“Well we’re glad we got our head mechanic back!” Kelley cheerily states, earning some hidden glares from Ashlyn and Christen for forgetting to not get Tobin's hopes up. She catches her error and quickly leads them to where a steaming pizza lies on the counter-top. “I know with Christen around we’ve all been on a bit of a health kick, but after having to eat bland-ass chocolate pudding in the hospital for so long, I thought you deserved some good ol’ pepperoni pizza!” 

“Hey! I can enjoy some greasy junk food every now and then!” Christen quickly responds in fake annoyance, but her gleeful smile gives her away. Tobin pecks her cheek before sitting down and diving right into a gooey slice without remorse. 

The group eats happily, as they’ve been doing for weeks now, sharing funny stories and teasing one another. 

Just like normal. 

And when they’re done, Tobin’s the first one to clean everything up and get ready for whatever work she can do. 

“Alright there greaser, let’s just chill for a minute.” Ashlyn laughs as she attempts to calm Tobin down. She's not  _ exactly _ sure what the danger would be in letting her friend get right back into work, but she's not taking any chances with brain trauma. 

“C’mon Ash! Give me something to do. Anything.” the mechanic pleads.

Ashlyn smirks, already having talked to Christen about what Tobin should and should not do. “Anything?” 

Tobin nods, quickly responding “Yeah!” before seeing blond hair disappear into their supply closet and immediately regretting her choice of words. Ashlyn shoves a brush and a metal pan into the woman’s hands and Tobin just groans as she takes the items. 

“Hey, man. You know that cleaning up your work area - aka the entire fucking shop - has been on the to-do list for centuries.” Ashlyn argues with a shameless shrug. “Even though it’s been sittin at the bottom of that to-do list, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t get done. Beggars can’t be choosers, Tobs.”

Like a whiny teenager being forced to do chores, Tobin turns to Christen with a pleading look, but her girlfriend (who knew and had already approved of this task the night before), just shrugs as well. “You heard the woman.” she defends before giving a merciful peck to Tobin’s pouting lips. 

And with one last groan, Tobin grips the brush a little tighter to hopefully prevent any uncontrollable hand spasms and starts sweeping dust and dirt into the pan.

~~~

Tobin finds out by accident. After weeks of Christen painfully holding her tongue, whispering about it discreetly with Kelley and changing the subject altogether if it seems like it could possibly come up, Tobin finds the medical bills while she’s cleaning up the shop, the papers laying under some parts and an empty Mountain Dew bottle.

After she throws the soda bottle away - no doubt Kelley’s trash - and relocating the random bike parts to their rightful spots, she quickly reads over the papers’ contents to see if it's ultimately trash or not. 

And after reading them, processing them, knowing what they’re asking for, and  _ wanting _ to rip them up and dump them into a burning trash can, she knows that they can’t be simply thrown away. 

And a detail that really catches her eye (besides the seemingly endless amount of zeros), is the date in which they had been originally printed. 

And she’s ready to rip  _ somebody’s _ head off. 

Unfortunately, Kelley is the first person Tobin sees and, thus, the first one to fall under the approaching line of fire. 

The freckled woman is washing some glue off of her hands as she sees the mechanic stomping towards her. The freckled woman's initial smile is immediately replaced by a look of confusion in seeing the sternness, borderline homicidal-looking expression on Tobin’s face. 

“Kelley, what the fuck are these!” Tobin angrily shouts, aggressively shoving the papers into her friend’s slightly damp hands. 

“Whoa, wait my hands are still kinda-” Kelley’s sentence gets cut short as she sees the clearly recognizable papers that have been forced on her - the sides getting soggy where her hands are daintily holding them, like if she grips the papers too hard they'd become real. “Tobs…” 

“No, don’t  _ Tobs _ m-me!” the mechanic yells. 

“They’re your medical bills. But you know that already.” Kelley calmly responds, the fear of Tobin finding out about all of this finally coming to light. 

Tobin scoffs and her boisterous yelling has led to Ashlyn and Christen coming towards them to see what the noise is about. “Yeah I f-f-fucking know a-already!” Tobin barks out, the appearance of her speech impediment making her even more frustrated. “And I-I know that they’re a-a-asking for a lot of m-money that I don’t ha-have.”

Between the speech impediment and starting to hyperventilate from being on the verge of a tear-filled breakdown, it's getting harder to distinguish everything that Tobin's trying to say.

Now that Christen knows the cause of this outburst, her heart starts to race. She’s never heard Tobin yell, let alone to one of her best friends, and the stutter and the whole situation is so foreign that Christen doesn’t know what to do with herself. 

But she knows that Kelley doesn’t deserve to fall victim to all of the blame because she had also been keeping the medical bills a secret. So she tries to step in.

“Babe?” Christen says softly, hoping that the term of endearment will relax her girlfriend a little. But Tobin whips around with hot tears in her eyes showing no signs of calming down in the slightest.

“D-d-did y-you know a-ab-bout th-this?” Tobin stutters out, hating how her mouth isn’t syncing up with her thoughts and it only seems to be getting worse the angrier she gets.

But she can't seem to calm down.

“M-my m-m-medi-medic-cal b-bills... A-and you d-d-d-idn’t t-t-tell m-me?” She frustratingly rubs her temples as if doing so will somehow lessen her stutter and help her yell and express her anger like a normal person. 

The empty, guilt-ridden look in Christen’s eyes answers the question for her. 

“Y-y-you gu-guys ke-kept this f-f-fr-from m-m-me...” the mechanic stammers more to herself than anyone else. 

Christen slowly approaches the seething woman, offering her hands out timidly in hopes that some physical contact will help comfort the woman.

But her hands don’t reach Tobin’s skin as the mechanic bolts out of the shop without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by my own history w speech impediments. They suck fr. (nd did u really think t would get out of this w/out some lingering physical/mental consequences to further progress plot drama? ;) Stay safe y'all!)


	13. Now. Us.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin is sure, Christen realizes something, Sonnett closes up the store for the first time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaand the fact that we’re here should reveal the result of the last q. im gonna start twice-a-weeks but idk maybe just here and there when im bored hehe
> 
> stick w me, i think this is the longest chap so far and i think yall r gonna be switching from hating me to not hating me throughout this whirlwind of a story hahaha enjoy

They don’t know where she went. After Tobin sprinted out of the shop, Christen and Kelley had shared knowingly guilty looks before explaining to Ashlyn what the entire outburst had been about. They understand why Tobin is upset, but they just need to talk with her and try and explain everything. 

But they don’t know where she went. 

When Christen walked out of the shop, she hoped to see her girlfriend leaning against the wall, still on the store’s property but just needing some fresh air from the intense scene they’d had. But panic quickly started to rise from her bones when she looked around outside with no trace of where Tobin is or has gone. 

She rushes back into the shop - Kelley still frustratingly discussing the previous events with Ashlyn before stopping mid sentence when she sees the fear in Christen’s eyes. 

“Tobs ran off.” Christen states, eyes wide with her chest visibly heaving up and down. “She… she’s not anywhere near the building.”

Ashlyn and Kelley now understand why Christen is so panicked, also assuming Tobin had just rushed outside for a breather.

“Lemme call her.” Ashlyn offers calmly but the way her voice seems so frail, the rest could tell how scared the tattooed woman is starting to feel. With a few quick taps against her phone screen, she brings the device up to ear and waits for the line to ring. Seconds later, they hear the unique chime and vibrations of the mechanic’s phone on the counter next to them as they realize that, of course, Tobin didn’t have her phone on her. 

“Fuck.” Kelley exclaims in a frantic breath. “Okay, um…” She looks around wildly until she rushes over to where her car keys are lying next to her backpack. She grabs them before yelling out, “Sonnett!”

The blond cyclist pops her head into the shop, having been stationed up at the front counter when Ashlyn went back to check what the commotion with Tobin was about. “What’s up?” she asks attentively. 

“We all gotta head out and try to find Tobs. You feel good about holding down the fort for today? I don’t know when we’ll all be back.” Kelley asks, quickly combing through her abundance of keys to find her car key.

Emily pauses, chewing her lip like she’s unsure and looking very obviously confused about what Kelley’s talking about, but she nods without question. “Uh, y-yeah. I can do that.”

Kelley smiles, knowing she’s kind of asking for a lot from the new-ish employee, but she’s grateful nonetheless. 

Wordlessly, she heads out the door with Christen and Ashlyn hot on her heels. They all pile into Kelley’s fun-sized suv as the freckled woman starts the engine, three-point-turns out of the back lot, and is onto the street in mere seconds.

“Where to first?” Kelley asks the others aloud. “I’m thinkin we circle around the block and see if she just took a relaxing walk. But maybe her apartment afterwards? And if she’s not there maybe the usual taco joint and if she’s not there either…” Her rambling trails off, unable to think of anywhere else but not really being in the most concentrated mindset at the moment. 

“That sounds good. Luckily she probably hasn’t gotten too far on foot cause of her healing leg. Unless she’s hopped on a train.” Ashlyn adds and all three of them really hope Tobin hasn’t hopped on a fucking train. That’d make the search radius much larger than they’d be able to cover thoroughly.

With no sight of the woman on the store's block, they go to the mechanic’s apartment first and Kelley uses a spare key Tobin had given her to get inside. They felt a little uneasy about going in without their friend’s direct permission, but at this point, they’d do just about anything to find the woman and make sure she’s safe. When the apartment looks to be deserted, no evidence of Tobin’s presence at all, they head back out to Kelley’s car to drive to the next possible hideout.

As they walk through the doors of Tobin’s favorite taco place, they’re met with the unnerving absence of the missing woman, but Christen is suddenly overcome by the memories of their first date here. It comes in flashes, as she almost relives the shy but flirtatious looks and the vulnerability they had expressed to each other that night.

How she wishes they could go back to that time - before any of this had happened.

The three exit swiftly, starting to run out of places to check and time in the day. They go to a few ice cream places they know their mechanic friend likes, some parks in the area, and even to Tobin’s favorite art gallery. But it seems like the woman has completely disappeared off the face of the earth. In every place they’ve been to and every person they’ve asked, there has been no sign of Tobin anywhere in the city. And the fear that she’s somehow booked a plane and left the state altogether starts creeping into their minds. 

Along with this fear, Christen's frequent "what ifs" swirl around in her head as the group frantically drives out the city.

_ What if she suddenly has some memory problem and can't remember how to get back home? _

_ What if she re-injures her leg or her ribs or her arm from running away? _

_ What if she has a seizure and no one's there to help her? _

Christen tries not to think about these daunting "what ifs" as the group continues their search.

~~~

It’s basically dusk on the drive back to the store. The three women are exhausted, physically and emotionally, from the wild goose chase during the day. At a red light, the car is dead silent, all feeling the grief and the sorrow and the guilt that’s followed in their throats throughout the journey around the city. 

But like a miracle, Kelley’s brought out of her burnt out state when she sees a familiar looking outline roll in front of the car on a bike. The helmet is unfamiliar, a shiny and obviously new piece of gear, as well as the bike itself. But the custom black bike shorts and honey colored ponytail are a dead give away. 

Kelley’s head pops up and she violently shakes Ashlyn's shoulder next to her. “That’s her! In front of us!” she yells and Ashlyn sluggishly inspects the cyclist before energetically forming the same conclusion. 

“Holy shit, I can’t believe she’s cycling right now. No wonder we never found her, she’s been going around the city as much as we have!” the blond puts together and Christen has connected the dots as well - a new bolt of energy now pulsing throughout the three women. 

Before really thinking anything through, per usual, Kelley rolls down her window hurriedly and shouts, “Tobs!”

The cyclist jumps slightly at being yelled at before turning around a bit. It is in fact Tobin, dawning a brand new helmet and squinting against the car’s headlights to see who’s said her name. When she realizes it’s Kelley a visible grimace appears on her face and she turns back around quickly . 

“Tobin!” Kelley shouts again, but before she knows it, the light turns green and Tobin’s racing off with any further acknowledgement. Kelley leans back into the car with a huff before speeding after the cyclist. 

They weave through the dark streets, trailing closely. But Tobin’s fast. Really fast. Probably from all of the pent up energy she hasn’t been able to release for the past few months, but her speed is surprising nonetheless - considering the fact that she had literally been hit by a truck, gone through extensive femur surgery, and Dr. Clark hasn’t officially cleared her for any type of strenuous activity. 

Strenuous activity such as racing through the streets of Chicago on a bike. 

Tobin tries to lose the car by turning down roads at the last second and going deliberately through bike paths that are away from the busy city streets. 

But Kelley always turns the second she sees Tobin swerve off. 

And Kelley knows the bike paths just as well as Tobin, always getting right to where the path eventually ends onto the street. 

It’s only when Tobin makes a wrong turn onto a street that Kelley knows is a dead end, that they finally catch their fleeing friend. They see the cyclist skid to a stop, realizing that she’s made a mistake, but is visibly too fatigued to try and find an alternative way to escape. Tobin admits defeat, the fact that she’s still recovering from the accident and also having to ride an unfamiliar bike (since hers got totaled in the crash) were undoubtedly the reasons behind her downfall. She hopes off of the bike and sets it to the ground carefully, plopping her drained body onto the curb. 

Kelley is able to quickly park on the street, cutting the engine, and the group all simultaneously leap out of the car at once. But as they’re outside of the vehicle, they remember how delicate this situation is and they fight the urge to immediately rush to the cyclist. Ashlyn, Christen, and Kelley all look at each other, knowing that the best way to not scare the woman off again is if only one of the three approach her. They wordlessly nominate Christen since Tobin’s already exploded her anger onto Kelley and Ashlyn doesn’t know enough to really tend to the issue.

So Christen slowly walks over to her girlfriend and the limp cyclist keeps her head down to the ground. Tobin’s lungs feel like they’re about to burst from being out of training for so long. Her recently healed ribs ache as her body visibly heaves in exhaustion and her recovering leg is stiff with lactic acid. The tan woman quietly takes a seat next to Tobin along the curb, leaving a safe but unusual amount of space between them. If Tobin is surprised about the woman’s sudden presence, she doesn’t show it. 

They sit there in the most tense silence they’ve ever shared. And it's a bizarre feeling for both of them - to feel this pressure between each other. 

It feels like they’ve been sitting there for years before Tobin quietly whispers, “Why did you hide them from me?”, and the distinct hurt in her voice immediately brings Christen to tears. 

“We didn’t want you to worry.” she responds calmly. She knows it's not enough of an explanation so she continues, “And we knew that you’d want to pay for it all yourself without anyone else’s help. That you’d shut us out when all we want to do is help and support you.”

Tobin shakes her head, but she can’t deny that it’s the truth. Besides the bike store being passed down to her by her father, Tobin’s worked for everything she has. And it’s something she takes a lot of pride in. 

But she saw the medical bills and she saw how much they came out to. Tobin knows that her health insurance couldn’t possibly cover it all and that. She wants to assume that the driver of the truck will pay for everything, but realistically, she know that she can’t simply rely on that hopeful expectation. 

The unsettling thought - the one that sprung to her head when she first laid eyes on those bills - is that the shop may possibly have to be a heartbreaking sacrifice. 

And that loss is something she can’t fathom. 

Then, like a dam breaking in an instant, sobs rack the mechanic’s body and Christen is right there to catch her, to hold her, to comfort her. Tobin’s tears flow freely as she grips onto Christen’s shirt for dear life. Some tears fall from Christen’s own eyes at the vulnerability of it all and she holds the woman tightly in her arms until the weeping turns into soft crying and then into tearful hiccups. 

And in the most brittle whisper, so faint that the words almost get swept away by the wind around them, Tobin breathes out, “I’m scared.”

Christen’s scared too, but she doesn’t think the mechanic needs to hear that right now. So she just wraps her arms around the woman a bit tighter, hoping that it will convey enough of a message for right now. 

~~~

They were able to get Tobin into the car without complication. Ashlyn grabbed the bike and propped it onto the bike rack that Kelley’s car already had. Kelley simply got back into the driver’s seat, still not knowing her friend’s feelings towards her at the moment. Christen guided the worn out woman into the backseat of the car with her and the mechanic was out like a light in seconds. Kelley and Ashlyn felt like passing out too, but Christen was too wired to even think about sleeping. 

Kelley drives them to the store so they can get the stuff that they had left. She sends a quick thank you text and the promise of a drink to Emily, who kept the store running and actually closed by herself for the first time while the rest were gone. 

Ashlyn and Christen both carry the sleeping mechanic from Kelley’s car into the passenger seat of Christen’s, her body barely stirring at the change in position. They leave Tobin in the car as Christen quickly rushes into the shop to grab their things. She’s got her things as well as Tobin’s and is about to head out, but her eyes can’t help but catch the papers that caused this whole dilemma, laying haphazardly on the counter with it’s edges curled up from previously being dampened by Kelley’s hands. Christen fights the bitter urge to rip the bills into shreds, to set them aflame as punishment for all the hurt they’ve caused. 

But her need to get Tobin back to the safety of her apartment outweighs the desire to destroy the papers. 

So she scrambles back out to her car only to see Tobin unmoved and still deep in sleep. Christen drives them back, frequently turning her head to look at the mechanic's sleeping figure as if her brain needs the constant reminder that her girlfriend is here with her.

That she’s here and  _ safe _ . 

Once they park, Christen knows she can’t carry Tobin in by herself, so she brings a timid hand to the woman’s shoulder and tries to gently lull her back to consciousness. Tobin’s eyes hazily flutter open as she sits up a bit and takes in the change of surroundings. 

“We’re at my place, baby.” Christen states quietly, knowing the reason behind Tobin’s confused expression. “Let’s go inside, yeah?” The yoga instructor feels like she’s walking on eggshells around her girlfriend, unsure of whether Tobin will go compliantly into her apartment or refuse in anger. Luckily, the mechanic chooses the latter as she exits the car without a sound. Despite her cold silence towards Christen, she still needs the walking assistance so she wraps her arm around her girlfriend’s shoulders and the two slowly make their way through the building. 

As they enter the apartment, the scene is weirdly similar to the first time Tobin visited her apartment. They stand awkwardly, unsure of where to go or what to do. Christen releases herself from being used as a crutch and she stands back a little to silently let Tobin take the lead in what will happen and what the dynamic between them will now be. And the mechanic just steadily limps to the kitchen to pull a glass down and fill it with water. 

Christen assumes that her girlfriend will want to head straight to bed with the exhaustion that plagues both of their bodies. But as she starts walking in the direction of her bed, Tobin quietly repeats the last words she had said before her breakdown on the sidewalk.

“I’m scared...”

The yoga instructor stops in her tracks, turning to see Tobin’s staring at her, her stern facial features contrasting with the vulnerable softness of her honey-colored eyes. 

Christen's about to voice the answer she had stopped herself from saying the first time, but she doesn't get the chance as Tobin continues talking.

"... I'm scared because I don't know what will happen to the store." she states, the faint sound of her water glass being placed on the kitchen counter signifying the end of her thought.

"Are you afraid of having to sell it? To pay for the medical expenses?" Christen asks, taking a few hesitant steps towards her statue-like girlfriend.

Tobin's eyes start to water again, solemnly looking down to the ground, but slowly nodding her head in affirmation.

Christen wants to say that there are other options - that even though the prospect of having to sell the store was the first and most ominous thought for the mechanic, it isn’t the only option she had. But she knows that jumping into such a dense discussion isn’t the move for tonight. 

Deciding to take a chance, Christen comes up to the woman and securely wraps her arms around her trembling shoulders as a response instead. She can tell that Tobin's using everything in her power not to cry again, not to let herself break down because she's far too exhausted to try and recover from such an emotionally and physically taxing scene so soon. And unexpectedly, Tobin's arms come up and weakly circle around Christen's waist in return. 

And the reciprocated action brings the slightest bit of hope back to Christen's heart. 

After a few long minutes of simply holding each other in the dim light of the kitchen, Tobin mutters into the tan woman's neck , "I'm sorry I yelled and ran away without telling anyone where I was going."

"No…" Christen quickly protests, pulling back from their embrace to look into Tobin's eyes. "You have every right to be angry. I hate that I kept this from you for so long and I hate how you had to find out about it without one of us telling you first." She takes another risk in bringing her hand up to cup Tobin's face, but she's rewarded once again when the woman doesn't flinch away and actually leans her face further into Christen's hand.

"B-but I'm not even really a-angry." Tobin pauses and quickly shuts her eyes, trying to regain control of her sentences without her stutter and Christen feels the woman’s jaw clench under her palm as the mechanic carefully formulates her words. "I'm not angry." she repeats with a bit more confidence before reopening her eyes and continuing. "I'm not angry about the secrecy or even the a-accident. I do-don't know, I-I'm just-"

"-scared." Christen finished her sentence for her, not wanting another wave of frustration to come as a result of the uncontrollable speech impediment. "I know, baby."

Tobin sighs and she leans back in to embrace her girlfriend - being emotionally done with talking about the subject any longer. She nestles into the space of Christen's neck once more, trying to dig a place where she can hide and surround herself with the pure compassion that Christen has shown her throughout their entire relationship.

The noticeable weight of Tobin gradually leaning her body into the hug reminds Christen of how late it is and how exhausted they are and how Tobin should really rest after the day she’s had. Christen detaches herself, but still holds the half asleep mechanic upright as she maneuvers her onto the bed. Tobin’s basically already asleep when she hits the mattress, but somehow she’s conscious enough to assist Christen in pulling off her bike shorts, putting on some sweats, and changing into a new shirt. 

When Tobin’s all snuggled up under the heaping fluff of the comforter, Christen goes to the bathroom to do a shortened version of her usual nightly routine. 

As she walks back out, she’s hit with the uncertainty of her own sleeping situation. Because as much as she would love to jump right into bed and cuddle up next to her girlfriend (as she’s done every night for the past few months now), Christen’s unsure of whether that’d be exactly appropriate after the events of the day and all they still need to discuss. And despite it being her own bed, Christen’s starts considering maybe making her way to her tiny couch and sleeping on that instead. 

But after some internal back and forth, the enticing comfort of her bed draws her in and she settles on the compromise of creating an innocent amount of space for the two women to sleep. As she slowly moves her tan legs underneath the covers, trying her hardest to not disturb the sleeping body next to her, she keeps a solid foot of distance between Tobin and herself.

She doesn’t know if the mechanic is actually partially awake still or if it’s simply a reactive motion from weeks of sleeping next to each other, but Christen is pleasantly surprised when a lazy arm reaches for her waist and pulls their bodies closer together. 

No matter if the movement is on purpose or not, Christen smiles and snuggles into Tobin’s warm body, not moving another inch for the rest of the night. 

~~~

Although last night’s events were one of the most stressful and awful situations she’s ever experienced in her life, Christen actually slept incredibly well that night. She considers it further evidence that Tobin is the human substitution of melatonin, having fallen asleep almost immediately and not stirring at all during the night. And when she wakes up, everything else kind of feels like a dream. Or maybe a nightmare of sorts. 

But for one second, when Christen’s starting to regain consciousness and wake up from her coma of sleep, she forgets about the disaster that was the last thirteen hours of her life. She forgets about the bike accident and the hospital trips and the medical expenses and the lying and the pain she had caused to the one person that doesn't deserve any of it. And from this lapse of memory, Christen breaths in a refreshing sense of bliss, being buried in the warmth of her girlfriend's arms on a promising new day. 

Sadly, this second of bliss really lasts a mere second and as Christen’s levels of consciousness increase, so does the anxiety and the fear and the sorrow that’s been starting to form a permanent place inside of her. With progressively labored breathing and a heart beat like a hammer, Christen decides to get up and try to squeeze in a quiet yoga session, hoping to calm herself down and also not wanting to wake Tobin.

Luckily the mechanic is pretty knocked out, so Christen sneakily crawls out of her little spoon position and scurries to where her yoga mat is stashed underneath the foot of the bed. Dragging it out and silently unraveling the mat in the only available space next to the tv, she steps onto the foam surface to let her feet sink slightly into the soft material and the feeling calms her instantly. She stands there, looking down at her tan feet in contrast to the purple color of the yoga mat before lowering herself down to begin her routine. 

Just as she takes a deep breath to initiate the first position, the coffee table is suddenly dragged away and Christen watches in surprise as Tobin drops her own blue colored yoga mat in the space where the table was - something she’s done countless times before. 

But that was before. And it’s been months since either of them have done any morning yoga. 

But Tobin silently mimics Christen’s starting position, ready to try and copy whatever series of poses the woman is planning to complete this morning. 

Without question, Christen continues her session as she’d planned, the only words spoken being little tips on breathing or certain details on body position.

In their past morning yoga sessions, the mechanic would usually fill the silence with witty comments and jokes, making fun of the poses they’d do and questioning the supposed benefits of yoga (despite participating in Christen’s sessions every morning).

Today though, Tobin stays eerily silent, simply following the instructed breathing pattern or changing her form slightly to compensate for the additional soreness in her leg.

Once Christen goes through all of the desired poses, feeling significantly less antsy than when she had woken up, she begins to conclude the session with her usual tradition of meditation. 

Tobin typically skips out on this part, giving a quick kiss to the tan woman’s forehead as a thank you before starting a batch of coffee for them. So Christen is once again stunned when she sees Tobin mirror her cross legged position, the mechanic’s eyes already closed and facing Christen on her mat. But she doesn’t comment on it as she closes her eyes and begins breathing deeply through her nose and exhaling through her mouth. 

And when fifteen minutes or so have passed, Christen reopens her eyes to see that Tobin’s are still closed.

So she waits.

And waits.

And when another twenty minutes have gone by, Tobin’s eyes finally flutter open to stare directly into Christen’s, as if she knew those emerald green eyes would be there waiting for her. 

Neither one of them move from their criss-crossed positions or from gazing at one another. They seem to be trying to read each other's expressions, both of them searching in the other woman’s eyes for some message or apology or explanation. 

Tobin breaks the silence as she quietly but firmly declares, “I’d like to talk about my medical bills and how to proceed with everything.”

“Okay.” Christen replies in support, very much ready to move past all this.

“And I want to talk about us.” the mechanic adds with the same composed tone. 

But those words send a tsunami of dread throughout Christen’s body and the serene demeanor she had only just reached is quickly replaced by trepidation. She fearfully nods her head, unable to formulate a worded response that doesn’t start with “no” and end with tears. 

Still on the floor with the padding of their yoga mats underneath them, the tension in the atmosphere is palpable.

The two sit across from each other like two electrical wires, both charged and ready to sort things out as intensity and energy fill the air. They fight the urge to make any sort of contact before every problem has been addressed - as a way to delay the inevitable spark that will occur the moment the two touch. 

“My expenses.” Tobin chooses the topic she’d like to broach first. “You know that it’d break my heart, as well as my family’s, to sell the shop.” And Christen nods to show that she’s following each word closely. “So my options are loans or maybe a really sucky payment plan from the hospital.” Tobin continues, voicing the thoughts that have been swirling in her brain since her outburst in the shop. 

Christen waits until she knows her girlfriend is done speaking before voicing her own thoughts. “Those  _ are _ two of the options.” she begins, appreciating that Tobin seems to be listening with an equal amount of attentiveness. “We also have to wait and see about the driver that hit you. I'm hoping that he will be held responsible for paying your expenses, but from the little information they’ve told us so far, it doesn’t seem as though he has anything  _ to _ pay with.” The mechanic visibly tenses at this information, but lets her girlfriend continue. 

Biting her bottom lip nervously, Christen states, “And I’d like to suggest something but you’re not gonna like it. So before I say anything, will you please promise that you won’t get mad and shut down on me.” 

Tobin’s jaw clenches tightly, already knowing what’s about to be suggested, but she takes a deep breath and offers the go ahead with a single nod.

“Kelley and I will- no,  _ want _ to loan you some money to help pay off these expenses.” Tobin already starts to shake her head fiercely but Christen quickly keeps talking, wanting to finish her proposition and knowing that Tobin’s on the brink of interrupting her. “And we  _ know _ that you will pay us back, but if you borrow from your two friends, you won’t be trapped by some huge, unfair loan system or payment plan.”

“No.” the mechanic declares firmly, almost not letting her girlfriend finish before proclaiming her opinion. “I-I don’t want your guys’ pi-pity m-money.” She takes another deep, calming breath, if not to keep her promise of staying level headed, than to try and prevent that damn stutter. 

Before Tobin’s able to exhale completely, Christen’s quick to speak into the brief silence in conversation. “Tobin, it’s not ‘pity money’! It’s us trying to help you not become a fucking slave to some bank or some hospital that’s only trying to squeeze as much money out of you as they can!”

Tobin’s only heard Christen curse a handful of times, and in any other situation she would’ve been shocked, but now she pays no mind to it as she continues on her declaration. “You m-might not mean it as pity money but that’s what it f-fe-feels like to me.” Tobin stops to take another sedative breath, getting really fucking sick of having to stop and take these breaks to fucking breath. But after exhaling, Tobin responds in a much more relaxed but affirmative tone, “So I can’t do that. I  _ won’t _ do that.”

Christen sighs in frustration, knowing that nothing she can say at this point will get through to the mechanic. As much as she’d be willing to sit for hours and try her very hardest to convince Tobin that this is a reasonable decision, she decides to refocus her energy to think up another viable solution. 

“Okay. We can talk with the hospital and see what options they have. But please keep an open mind if a better opportunity presents itself.” Christen says peacefully and Tobin visibly calms down in hearing this. 

“I will. Thank you.” Tobin responds sincerely and with another breath, she goes straight to the next topic of discussion. “Now. Us.” she states pensively, hanging her head down as she looks at her yoga mat in concentration.

Goosebumps rise on the back of Christen’s neck when she hears this and the tone of Tobin’s voice makes her heart rate increase. But she stays quiet to let the woman across from her talk, mentally preparing herself for whatever Tobin’s about to say. 

“This is gonna be really hard.” Tobin begins and _fuck,_ _those sound like breakup words_ Christen realizes with panic. But she remains quiet, feeling tears start to sting the back of her eyes.

“So right now…” the mechanic sighs, raising her head and her eyes appear glassy as well. “...I-I’m giving you an out. From being with m-me. From being in this relationship.”

And Christen breaks down, tears flowing uncontrollably down her face from the unexpected words and what her girlfriend is offering and how absolutely heartbreaking it is that Tobin feels the need to present an exit door on their relationship. 

A few tears make their way down Tobin’s face, but she wills herself to continue. “With my stutter and the bills… I-I mean, I'm at an increased risk of having f-fucking seizures…… It’s gonna be  _ really _ hard and I know th-that you didn’t sign up for all of it when we first started this.”

“No, no, no… no, baby…” is all Christen can get out between sobbing and gasps of breath.

“And it’s not fair to you… and I don’t want you to feel o-bbligated to stay because we were together when this all went down.” Tobin keeps explaining earnestly as she wipes a tear from her cheek.

The past tense term in regards to their relationship breaks Christen’s heart even more and she quickly tries to compose herself, no longer willing to stay silent when their relationship is crumbling before her eyes. “Tobin.” she interjects and thankfully the mechanic pauses. “Tobin I’m not leaving you. I could never and I don’t feel obligated to stay because I want this Tobin. I want stage three with you. And I don’t care about the stutter or the bills-”

“There’s something else.” Tobin cuts her off. “I-I haven’t told you, but there’s a thing happening with m-my hand. I don’t know what’s wrong-”

“I know already.” And Christen takes no shame in interrupting the woman right back. “I've known for a while and I’ve seen it, but baby, I don’t care!” she exclaims, quickly grabbing the mechanic’s hands as if to show how much these complications don't waver Christen's love for her.

And  _ fuck. _

Right there at that thought, Christen realizes it.

She loves Tobin. Maybe she has for a while now.

And since she currently has the floor, Christen decides to say as much.

“Tobin. I love you.”

And the phenomenon of the couple's time-altering abilities occur and everything else around them freezes. Time stands still. 

And without a hint of a stutter, Tobin can only respond with the most sure thing she knows, despite the hectic disasters that surround them and despite the scary uncertainty of her future.  _ Their  _ future. 

“I love you too, Christen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by the avatar. im literally watching it as i write this exact sentence (and apparently id be an airbender. let me know what kind of bender u are! <3)


	14. soggy fish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kelley is a softy, Tobin is in love, Christen might have a lot of things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point, we should all just forget about the whole “4k word limit” i had at the start of this… also i wrote this while fasting for 20 hrs so it might not make a ton of sense hahaha

Tobin’s never really been in love before.

Sure, she loves her family and her friends. She loves her bike store and is extremely grateful everyday for the ability to come in to work, do what she loves, and make a living out of it. 

She loves the entire process of fixing and repairing bicycles. It’s a perfect blend of mental and physical precision. She loves being able to tend to the problems of a broken bike - to move pieces around and turn the mess of metal back into the machine it was made to be. There’s a satisfying sense of control she gets from being able to use her mind in synchronized collaboration with her hands to restore and build and to reconstruct and create. 

And it's a similar sensation when painting. Despite ideas being brought to her by the customer’s request, there’s no shortage of creative flexibility in the pieces of art she generates with each bike. Even while keeping the initial desire of what designs are being asked for her to produce, she can still allow her own vision to flow freely from her mind into the movements of her hands and onto an awaiting frame. And of course there’s a tremendous amount of joy in being able to produce these works of art that have customers’ eyes light up and jaws dropping to the floor. She never actually witnesses these amazed reactions, not one for the attention of others marveling at her work, but she’s happily content from the stories that Ashlyn recounts. 

She loves bringing that type of light into the world, whether through fixing someone’s beloved bike or creating a work of art on a simple structure of metal. 

And she thought she was fulfilled by this manifestation of love. 

But then she met Christen and she experienced feelings that she’d never experienced before. 

And Tobin doesn’t quite understand it all.

~~~

With this declaration of feelings being spoken into the universe, Christen and Tobin eagerly crash into each other with streaming tears of relief and limitless exchanges of “I love you’s” shared between the two. 

And after what felt like eternity in each other's arms, they lean back a little to simply gaze - to sit there and hold each other and gaze at one another's tear-filled faces. Apologies and adoration and exclamations of love are found in their wide, gleaming eyes and it all feels like  _ enough _ .

And when they get up off the floor together and roll their yoga mats into compact spirals together and Tobin starts a pot of coffee and Christen begins frying some pancakes for breakfast, it all feels like  _ enough _ . 

And when they eat the masterfully prepared pancakes together and clean up together and immediately go back to holding each other like cats deprived of affection, they feel the noticeable weight of two people in love. 

Complete and boundless love. 

~~~

“You have to talk with Kelley.” Christen mutters softly into the warm embrace the two have made buried into the couch together.

Tobin sighs buts nods her head ever so slightly. “I know.”

The yoga instructor leans her head back from where it was stationed on Tobin’s chest, wanting to look at her girlfriend and read her expression and her emotions in this moment. “She was only trying to protect you, to do what she believed benefited you the most. She still is.”

“I know.” Tobin repeats and the emotions in her facial features bleed acceptance and understanding. “I’ll go over tonight and talk it out. I think she’s probably the one closing up.”

“I can go with you.” Christen gently offers, grazing her hand along the mechanic’s side, but the look she gets in response declines the suggestion before any words are even said yet. 

“No, it’s okay.” Tobin dismisses. “This is something that I should do alone.” 

And Christen nods, knowing that there are things Tobin probably wants to say to her best friend and her best friend only. She leans in to give a tender kiss as a form of approval. “I have a call with Julie later about fixing the whole open day thing. But after you talk with Kelley, how about we just do a chill night in.” Christen suggests, still wanting to decompress from the emotionally taxing events of the past. 

“That sounds fantastic babe.” the mechanic responds and gives a quick kiss back.

They continue their lazy morning together, exchanging occasional pecks and staying snuggled up as much as humanly possible. 

Before they know it, almost the entire day has passed. Tobin gets up and decides to take a much needed shower in preparation to go over and talk to Kelley before the store closes for the day. Christen gives one last supportive kiss before her girlfriend leaves and she stays in her apartment to call up Julie. She can tell that Tobin’s nervous and despite wanting to go with her, just in case God forbid something sets her girlfriend off again and she has to go out looking for her, Christen knows that she has to let Tobin do her own thing and simply trust her.

But of course, that doesn’t stop her from worrying the second Tobin walks out of her apartment door. 

~~~

Luckily, Tobin catches Kelley just as she shuts the shop door and pulls out her keys to lock it. With her shorter friend’s back turned to her, Tobin announces her presence with a soft, “Hey, Kel.”

Kelley visibly jumps a little - startled from the sudden appearance of the mechanic, but her eyes quickly turn down after she sees who’s before her. 

“Hi-ya Tobs.” she mutters back, turning back to put the key in the door and lock it. Kelley turns back around but stays planted in her stance. “How are you?”

Tobin looks down at the ground and almost scoffs at the question, amused at how loaded those simple three words have become. As she looks back up and into her best friend's eyes, she gives a fragile smile and responds, “I’ve been better.”

“Yeah, same.” Kelley agrees flatly because she has no clue as to why Tobin’s here. She hates how unusually awkward the two are right now. It feels like yesterday that they were bouncing around, not a care in the world except with maintaining and running a cozy little bike store. But that all feels like a fever dream now. 

“I came to apologize, Kel.” Tobin finally states her purpose of her presence. “It wasn’t fair of me to chew you out like that in the shop and then run off.”

With a tight-lipped frown, Kelley nods but silently looks at the ground. 

“I talked with Christen and I’m gonna see what options the hospital has to offer.” Tobin continues, not expecting to be met with such a one-side conversation with her usually chatty friend. 

But Kelley just nods again, not really knowing what she could possibly say or offer Tobin at this point. 

Growing frustrated at how she seems to be the only one trying to bury the hatchet and talk this out, Tobin tries to get any response out of her mute friend. “Listen, Kel. I freaked out when I saw the papers. I freaked out when I realized that you guys kept them from me. And I needed to clear my head. It wasn’t the b-best way to go about things, but I’m sorry for putting you th-through it.” she admits with an irritated tone to her voice. “I was scared of what those papers meant for me a-and the store and you g-guys. Hell, I  _ am _ scared. But I talked with Christen and I’m gonna see what options the hospital h-has.”

Kelley just scoffs and shakes her head without a word, and this has Tobin growing more heated by the second. 

“What Kel? If there’s s-something you wanna say, go ahead and say it.” Tobin bites out, her friend’s demeanor not helping her stay as calm as she was hoping to be. 

After a pause, Kelley looks up at Tobin’s challenging eyes with bitter eyes of her own before spitting out, “This is why I didn’t want to fucking tell you about the expenses in the first place, Tobin.” 

And, boy, does that irk something in Tobin's body. The mechanic tightens her hand to get it to stop shaking from pure rage but she doesn’t break this stand-off situation with the woman across from her. With her jaw clamped down she questions through gritted teeth, “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“You should really know by now.” the freckled woman simply remarks, finally moving from where she was cemented to the ground as she starts to head towards the direction of her car. 

Tobin’s quick to step into her path with a light but aggressive shove to Kelley's shoulder. “Well I don’t. So p-please, enlighten me.”

When Kelley fumbles back a bit from the mechanic’s hand colliding with her shoulder, she adjusts the position of her backpack and has to white-knuckle the strap to keep from completely exploding with anger. 

Kelley realizes that she’s met with two options: either refuse to get into this can of worms and let it all go unspoken as it has been for years. Or finally let the truth of the matter out for the woman to hear. Any other circumstance and Kelley would’ve opted to stay silent, to let her friend’s humanly flaws remain unstated.

But she’s tired of keeping it to herself. And with everything that they’ve gone through in the past few months, Kelley realizes that there’s no better time to let her words fly freely. 

_ Ah, fuck it _ Kelley tells herself. 

She straightens her posture and takes a grounding stance - ready for the conversation the two women are about to unexpectedly endure tonight. 

“I didn’t want you to know about the expenses and I made Christen promise to keep it under-wraps because I knew that you’d take complete responsibility over them. I knew that you’d close in on yourself and make it your own issue as if this hasn’t affected all of us.” Kelley finally admits, shining light on this distinct characteristic of Tobin’s that everyone seems to recognize but no one dares to discuss. 

But here they are.

And Tobin came to simply apologize but she’s getting a lot more than she bargained for. 

And she’s definitely not going to let this go now.

“Of course it’s m-my own fucking issue, Kelley.  _ I _ got in the b-bike accident and th-th-those ex-penses are to cover  _ my _ o-o-op-perations.” Tobin shouts back, too infuriated to acknowledge the growing stutter.

“Fucking hell…” Kelley mutters with a shake of her head. “Tobin, I get that this happened to you and it's sad and horrible and I wish it never happened. But the whole thing affected ALL of us.”

Tobin opens her mouth to remark something back, but Kelley quickly beats her to it. “And don’t fucking say that it hasn’t because YOU don’t know. When you were in surgery, we were all going through our own shit. I don’t think Christen ate one fucking thing that day. I mean, you saw how absolutely shaken up she was when she saw you laying in that hospital bed after your surgery.”

At the mention of Christen’s name and the recognition of the effect that this has had on her girlfriend and all of her friends, Tobin’s lost her words. 

Kelley takes advantage of this pause in conversation as she continues her rant. “And so I knew that you’d push everyone else away when you learned about your bills, especially cause they’re callin for a lot of money. I knew that you’d try to selflessly write off anyone trying to help you out and… and that in itself is almost selfish.” Kelley can see the gears in Tobin’s head slowly turning and she’s actually getting to the woman before her, so she continues on. “But we’re all here to help you. To support you. But we can’t do that if you cut us off and isolate yourself and your problems.”

“I-I don’t…. Um…” Tobin sputters, not from her speech impediment but from her inability to really process the words being spoken at her and form a clear response.

“We want to help Tobin.” Kelley firmly states. “But you have to let us in. ‘Cause as much as you want to, you can’t do it all alone. And we don’t think you’re any less of a person because of it, we just want to help.”

A single tear falls from Tobin’s eye, but nothing more. There’s no more tears left within her to shed at this point. But Kelley seems to understand the epiphany that her stubborn friend has had and she feels a weight lift off of her chest at having said everything she could say. 

Finally after some deep breaths and the previous tension in the air slowly dissipating, Tobin’s able to formulate some words as she mutters, “You know, Chris said something that I think I’ve always kinda known but I’m just starting to really see clearly…”

“And what’s that.” Kelley questions, her voice a bit hoarse from her long-winded speech.

“You kept the bills a secret because you were trying to protect me.” Tobin repeats what Christen had told her this morning. She adds, “I mean, we’ve always been pretty protective of each other.” and Kelley nods because it’s a fact that’s been very apparent throughout their years of friendship.

“And I was scared of jeopardizing the shop because of these expenses, so I think I was trying to deal with it by myself as a way to kinda protect you.” Tobin concludes, gradually figuring out her own mess of feelings during this oddly therapeutic argument.

Kelley sighs as she slowly walks closer to Tobin and suddenly, the two come together in a tight, meaningful embrace. It almost takes the air out of both of them, from the physical impact as well as the emotional relief of finally being on the same page again. 

After a long moment of silence and the tightening grip from both of the women trying to wordlessly express how much the other means to them, Kelley finally wiggles herself free. And when they separate, they maintain soft, loving eye contact - a stark contrast to the heated intensity of the conversation mere minutes ago.

“Everything we’ve done is out of love.” Kelley gently declares, and Tobin nods in understanding. She continues, “Let us help you, Tobs. Let yourself be loved by the people that love you.”

And Tobin can’t suppress the fuzzy feeling at remembering those little words she’s just exchanged with Christen for the first time. Kelley notices the different kind of grin displayed on the mechanic’s face, but she decides to question it later, knowing that the two need to call it after everything that’s been let out into the open night air. 

“Alrighty then. Get home to your girlfriend and let her know that everything’s good between us. I know she’s been worried.” Kelley says as she pats Tobin’s shoulder and with one last “Bye, Tobs”, and she heads to her car..

And as Tobin stands in the darkened back lot of her bike store, it’s painted exterior still visible in the night, her heart swells with an abundance of love. But in staring at the building, her place of business and of sanctuary, she feels a sort of unfamiliar emotional pull. It’s a strange kind of itch and she realizes that it's a sort of longing for something else, or more accurately, someone else. For once, this abundance of love isn’t directed towards the bike shop in front of her.

For her whole life, she thought she could live at that bike store forever, perfectly content with all it has to offer and all it has given her. But in this moment, she stands in front of her store yearning for her girlfriend - someone that she could live with forever and be perfectly content with all  _ she  _ has to offer and all  _ she  _ has given her. 

And she realizes that to fill the void and feed into this urge, she needs to get home to her girlfriend. 

Because Christen has somehow replaced the largest part of her heart that she thought was indefinitely reserved for “Helping Heath’s”.

And while the realization scares her - sparks a fear within her that something has taken priority over the store that she frequently considers home (this type of fear that has her sprinting away in any other situation), Tobin also feels the exact opposite of fear. 

She feels calm. Because, suddenly, she’d be happy to have Christen take priority over anything and everything.

And she really needs to get home to her girlfriend.

~~~

“Babe?” Tobin calls out upon entering Christen’s apartment. When she’s met with silence, the mechanic hangs up her coat, takes off her shoes, and walks further into the space. “Christen?” 

Suddenly her girlfriend comes out of the bathroom, still on a call with Julie. With eye contact and some hand movements gesturing to the phone against her ear, Tobin realizes and sheepishly mouths “sorry.” 

Christen, who seems to be on the listening end of the conversation at the moment, scurries over to the mechanic to give her a quick hello peck to the lips and she turns her phone away from her mouth to whisper briefly, “It’s alright baby. There’s some leftover fish and chips in the fridge that you can heat up.” 

Tobin thanks her with another short kiss and lets the yoga instructor head off towards some papers that are laid out on the coffee table. 

She goes to open the fridge and grabs the styrofoam container that houses a few pieces of fried fish, but there are no “chips” in sight. She shakes her head, but grins at her girlfriend’s notorious love of good, crispy fries. Nevertheless, she throws the fish on a paper towel and nukes them in the microwave as Christen finishes up her business call. With her weak-excuse for a dinner in hand, Tobin makes her way over to a spot on the couch not taken up by Christen or the numerous pieces of paperwork scattered about. 

“Yeah….yes. I think that’s right…. Okay…..alright… yeah, love you too! I’m so excited!...ya, byeee!” Christen ends her call with a satisfied smile on her face. She looks over at Tobin who’s munching on the sort-of-crispy batter-fried fish before gathering the mess of work surrounding them and organizing them into one pile. After, she immediately cuddles up to Tobin’s awaiting body and closes her eyes in tranquility. The mechanic under her slightly nudges her shoulder and when Christen looks up, she sees her girlfriend wordlessly offering a bite of fish, to which she happily takes a taste. 

After munching and swallowing, Tobin wonders, “How was the call-meeting-thing?” 

“Good. Really good.” Christen happily sighs and Tobin doesn’t ask anymore questions, knowing that her girlfriend will reveal more details after this peaceful, work-free moment they’re having together. “How was the whole talking-with-Kelley-thing?” she asks in turn.

“Good. Really good.” Tobin smiles as she repeats the yoga instructor’s words and Christen grants her the same calmness in not getting into the details, knowing that everything will be said when the time’s right.

They go back to cuddling while Tobin finishes the piece of fish and when she’s done, she balls up the paper towel she was holding them with and free throws it into the nearby trash bin - just to go right back to cuddling Christen a bit better. And after a beat of silence, Tobin voices the itch that’s been nagging at her.

“So I’m just gonna throw something out there, just as an idea. Just some, um, brain food.” she starts, nervously chewing her lower lip. 

Christen seems to sense this anxious change in demeanor and she props herself up on the mechanic’s stomach to make eye contact with her. “Okay, I’m always hungry for brain food.” she smiles humorously. 

“Well, I know that we just recently did the whole ‘love’ bit and all…” Tobin begins and they both take a minute to blush like fools at how  _ right _ it all feels. She continues, “... but I’ve just been thinking, like…. I don’t know. I-I was at the shop talking to Kelley, right?” Christen nods, showing that she’s attentively listening. 

“Well when she left, I was just standing at the shop and I realized... for the longest time, the shop and the store took up my whole life. That place has been my sanctuary for, like, ever.” Christen continues to give an understanding nod because she does know the amount of love Tobin has for her business. “But I was standing at the shop and I like, didn’t want to be there.” 

To this, Christen gives a questioning look, not expecting those words to come out of the mechanic’s mouth. Ever.

Seeing this wide eyed expression, Tobin chuckles and continues, “I know. Shocking right? But the whole time I was standing there, I was like, ‘Ug, I wanna be with my adorable girlfriend right now, all cuddled up’ - like we are right now - ‘and eatin soggy, chipless fish ‘nd chips.” 

Christen giggles and looks at her with heart eyes at the cute admission. 

“Okay, maybe not the soggy fish part.” Tobin adds and they both laugh in response. “But, yeah. It was weird being at this place that I wholeheartedly love - and have loved for like, my entire life- but wanting to be next to you instead. And I think that’s cause… I-I love you so much more.”

And those words bring tears to Christen’s eyes. Not because it’s an out-of-the-blue acknowledgement, but because it’s exciting and totally welcomed and reciprocated. She brings a gentle hand up and brushes it against her girlfriend's cheek, but Tobin has more to say. “And, the realization I made is that I wanna be with you as much as I can. And I wanna stand with you and support you and love you as much as possible. 

Christen then notices the mechanic’s eyes shift downwards, a grey shadow and a rigid look crossing over her face as she continues her speech. “And I think if my accident taught me anything, it's that the future is never promised. Like, we could walk out the door and not come back.” she mutters with a tone of frailness. Christen leans in to give a motivational kiss, willing the mechanic to continue because her facial expression looks as though she may break at any second. 

And finally with a sharp exhale of confidence, Tobin looks back up at those vivid green eyes and declares, “I wanna spend every second I can with you. And… I-I want us to live together.”

With that, Christen is struck speechless. After everything, the accident, the fight, the yoga studio, getting Tobin acclimated to a new routine, and getting herself acclimated to a new routine…

The last thing on her mind is moving in with Tobin or Tobin moving in with her. 

Met with the unnerving silence, Tobin rapidly tries to explain her proposition further. “I mean, we b-basically already live together. We spend almost every night together and you’ve become such an important p-part of my life. I-I’d probably be dead already if you weren’t here to remind me about my m-meds and stuff.” Tobin jokes at her own expense, her light laugh dying out just as quickly as it came. “And I know we spend most of our time here, but m-my p-place is a lil bigger and you can totally move as much as you w-want over.” Now Tobin’s full on rambling her thoughts, her anxious stutter not slowing her down one bit. But she knows she’s going to run out of words soon. 

“Shhhh…” Christen hushes her, recognizing the increasing speech impediment and not wanting Tobin to get too amped up over this. When they look into each other's eyes, they give each other silent, questioning looks. “Are you sure?” Christen timidly asks, unsure of the true motivation behind her girlfriend’s proposition. “I don’t want this to happen and then for you to regret it or something.”

Tobin tries not to get too frustrated at Christen questioning her on this because she’s so sure, she can feel it in her bones. But she quickly understands that her girlfriend simply wants what’s best for her, trying to get them to look at the big picture and what this development will mean to both of them. So she takes a deep breath, pushes away her annoying stutter to the best of her ability, and states in the most genuine and honest tone, “I’m sure, Christen. I want this with you.”

And at such a firm declaration, Christen can’t help but surge forward and connect their lips and express all her wants, dreams, and desires in this one passionate kiss. As she detaches her lips, keeping a centimeter of space between their faces, Christen whispers with a grin, “You’re gonna regret letting me move  _ all  _ my stuff over.”

And that confirmation makes Tobin’s smile grow impossibly wider as she swiftly picks up the yoga instructor, now full of giggles, and leads them to the bed with sporadic kisses all over her warm, tan face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by sohla el-waylly.


	15. Bikes are your M.O.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kelley is a genius (or a psycho), Tobin has donuts again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome to the midweek update! i wanna give a big congrats to all the graduates out there! if everything went as planned, i would probably be sittin in my robe in the beatin sun with my fellow seniors, but if i learned anything from bear grylls, it’s to always be able to adapt and adjust to what ur given. love to all!!

Tobin 100% underestimated how much _stuff_ Christen was going to bring. She thought that since the yoga instructor lived in such a small apartment space, she wouldn’t have a lot of furniture and clothes and accessories to move. 

But she was dead wrong.

And Tobin realized how wrong she’d been after the sixth box of Christen’s things she had to haul up her apartment stairs. By the thirteen box, she was unsure of whether everything would even fit in her own apartment that is only slightly larger in space. 

When she plops the last box onto the floor and huffs out an exasperated breath, she looks over and sees Christen sitting calmly on the living room floor, going through some of her newly moved stuff. 

“Babe, how were you able to fit all of this stuff in your teeny-tiny studio apartment? I don’t even remember seeing half of this stuff when I was over.” Tobin comments while rubbing her leg that’s starting to feel a bit sore from going up and down her stairs so many times. 

Christen just grins, standing to get something else out of a box across the room. “You were the one who told me I could move all of my stuff over.” she counters. 

“Uh, I don’t remember saying _all_ of your things.” the mechanic is quick to rebuttal. 

With a light laugh, Christen asks, “Well what’d you expect me to bring when you asked me to move in with you?”

“I don’t know… like your yoga mat? A few shirts or something?” Tobin answers, not actually expecting that but definitely not expecting fifteen boxes worth of Christen’s stuff. 

“If it makes you feel better, most of this is just my clothes and some basic appliances.” the yoga instructor amends, slowly walking over and throwing her arms around her girlfriend’s broad shoulders. “And you should probably be thanking me because you have basically _zero_ cooking appliances. Like, how do you eat or cook in this place?”

Tobin chuckles as she wraps her arms around her girlfriend's waist and glances over at the deserted space of her kitchen counters - the only item in sight being her lonely coffee machine. She looks back to the woman in her arms. “I only keep the essentials around here.” she reasons with a shrug.

Christen gives a knowing look. “Exactly. And this is why I was so surprised when you made dinner that one time. I had no idea where all the additional kitchen supplies came from.” she laughs. 

“Well, I _did_ have to go out and buy another plate. And a frying pan… And a pot.” Tobin admits with a chuckle. 

“Oh, so now you have two plates instead of one? It’s an improvement I guess...” Christen teases. “I feel like _I’m_ going to nag you about not keeping any food or cookware around and _you’re_ going to be annoyed with me nagging you. We’ll have to see whether I’ll run out of here myself first or if you’ll kick me out first.” They both laugh because both options are ridiculously improbable and Christen leaves their embrace to continue sifting through all of the boxes scattered throughout Tobin’s apartment. 

Before she gets too far, Tobin looks adoringly at her girlfriend/new roommate and simply states, “That’d never happen, love. I would never in a million years kick you out if I have a say in it.”

Christen stops rummaging through whatever box she’s at and places her hands confidently on her hips. “Really? And why is that?” she challenges with a questioning smirk. 

Tobins just grins widely and repeats, “Cause I only keep the essentials around here.”

~~~

Despite the numerous boxes, Christen was right in that most of it was just clothes and additional home necessities that Tobin somehow lacked. Together, they were able to get everything pretty well integrated into Tobin’s apartment, especially with Christen’s organization abilities. Even with the new kitchen appliances, Tobin was able to convince her girlfriend to order in some comforting smash burgers as a celebratory dinner. 

They bring the warm bag of burgers over to the couch, opting to eat on Tobin’s cozy leather couch. Before diving in, Tobin looks over at Christen sitting next to her with a soft, satisfied smile. “Welcome home, roomie.” she smiles and they both laugh wholeheartedly. Christen responds with a sweet kiss and they eagerly begin on their greasy food with the word _home_ echoing in their minds. 

With burger wrappers and the empty bag in the trash, the two end the night cuddling closely on the couch with some baking show Christen had vehemently suggested playing on the tv. There’s a relaxing feeling in the atmosphere as they lay there snuggled together. Christen feels the most comfortable she’s felt in a long time and that has nothing to do with the worn, cushy couch. It started to really hit her - that she’s at home right now. With Tobin. 

In the night air, illuminated by the screen of the tv, Tobin suddenly declares, “I wanna go into work tomorrow.” It was Sunday the next day and while the store was usually closed, Tobin had always in the past come in to catch up on repairs anyway - being the avid work-a-holic that she is. These extra hours had dwindled down significantly ever since she met Christen and, obviously, her work hours ceased to exist as of recently (not including cleaning the shop that one day). 

But now, she’s itching to get back into the shop and work for real. And she knew she could get Kelley to come in and help her. 

Christen takes a pause, glancing up to see that the mechanic’s face is expressionless, still watching the tv as she waits for her girlfriend’s response. “You want to go in to actually ‘work’ or to just hangout in the shop?” she questions, wanting to know every detail on the mechanic's mind.

“To work.” Tobin states confidently. “I wanna get my hands on some frames and I think the fact that the store won’t technically be open will make it much less stressful.”

“Okay.” Christen responds. She isn’t in a position to really discourage the mechanic, especially because she knows how antsy Tobin’s getting without any mental stimulation or anything to occupy her fidgety hands. But Christen’s apprehensive because-

“My hand feels good. In control.” Tobin suddenly addresses her girlfriend’s unspoken doubts, knowing the biggest reason as to why Christen is uneasy about this plan. “I think I could do some basic stuff and just see how it feels. If it gets really bad I’ll just… check in with Clark or something.” 

Christen nods slowly at this decision and repeats, “Okay.” She scooches up from her relaxed position to face her girlfriend, searching in those honey-hazel eyes for any sign of hesitation or worry. But all she sees as Tobin looks back at her is certainty and confidence. With that clear-cut verification, Christen gives a couple quick kisses and resumes her previous position snuggled in Tobin’s warm embrace. 

~~~

For the first time, Tobin doesn’t walk through the shop door with her usual relaxed swagger. She doesn’t enter the building with a gleaming smile plastered on her face and a box of morning donuts in her hand. Any other Sunday, and she’d be ecstatic to come in, play music throughout the building, and work on repairs all day long. 

But now, things have obviously changed. 

She walks in almost hesitantly, taking each step one at a time, as if the paint-splattered cement floor has hidden landmines underneath it. Tobin wanders around the shop and gazes at all of her tools and bike parts like everything had somehow been moved one inch from its usual place and it doesn’t feel comfortable or familiar anymore. 

Tobin hates this feeling. She hates the anxious energy she suddenly has in this place that she previously found so much peace in. She hates that it _should_ be calming, being back here at work like she wanted, but it all feels so foreign now. 

And she especially hates that Kelley keeps leaving empty, neon-green bottles of Mountain Dew all over the already cluttered counter space. 

“Kel, I swear if I see one more of these stupid bottles, I’m gonna start throwin them at you and aiming right between your eyes.” Tobin comments and points directly at the middle of her freckled friend’s face with squinted eyes to emphasize her threat.

The two had gone back to their normal ways… sort of. While the teasing and the bickering and the love is still there, it feels a bit awkward at times. Like they’re happy to be in each other's company again, but they’re constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop at any moment. The regular, unfiltered candidness that they had grown accustomed to was now gone from their friendship. And while that may seem like a good thing - no more random and unwanted commentary from Kelley - it somehow took away an intimate aspect of their relationship. And they both recognize this but mutually decide to not draw attention to it - to let the dynamic just flow and develop naturally.

“Hey, I’m not gonna mess with the process man. It gets me through a work day and that’s all I need.” Kelley responds with a carefree shrug. “Seriously, I don’t know how you had the energy to power through all these projects like you did.”

And the use of those past-tense words makes Tobin feel more uncomfortable. “Yeah, I don’t know either, man… ” Tobin mutters back and Kelley notices the now sullen look on her friend’s face. 

Kelley’s quick to change the subject and shift to a more upbeat tone. “So what were you planning on doing today, boss?”

Tobin looks around the shop a bit more, checking all of the tools that are hung around the walls and the workspace. She’s yet to touch anything though, almost too afraid to physically feel any of the machines or frames - as if they'd be set aflame the second her damaged hand made contact. “Um, I don’t know.” she murmurs quietly. “What do you have on the to-do list?”

“Well, there’s a few brake pads that need to be replaced and some chains too. Some drop bars need to be wrapped and then I was gonna put some training wheels on a cute, lil bike for my nephew...” Kelley recalls, but then she nervously bites her bottom lip and Tobin notices immediately. 

“What, Kel?” she asks, wondering what’s got her friend so anxious all of a sudden.

  
  
Taking a pause to figure out how to say this (or if she should say it at all), Kelley mutters, “Um… There’s a few, uh, paint requests that’ve been piling up…”

The color drains from Tobin’s face and she looks down at her feet in guilt. She’s been off work for a while now and even though she’s nervous about getting back to repairs with her erratic hand, she’s been adamantly pushing away the mere thought of designing and painting frames. 

She feels guilty about cutting off this popular and alternative source of revenue for the store. But she can’t deny her lack of confidence when it comes to her hand, especially with the detailing and precision needed for some of these paint jobs. 

When Tobin looks back up, she sees an understanding pair of eyes looking back at her. “It’s okay, Tobs.” Kelley tries to comfort. “We’re just taking this one day at a time.”

And Tobin wordlessly nods as the two start looking for the materials they need to start working. 

~~~

Christen heads to the shop midday to deliver lunch, but mainly to just check up on her girlfriend. She parks in the back lot with a feeling of anxiousness, hoping that Tobin’s had a good day and isn’t too disappointed if she couldn’t get right back into repairs like before. 

The mechanic had asked for Christen to go to the yoga studio instead of with her to the shop, citing that this was something she could do on her own (and with Kelley of course). This request wasn’t out of annoyance or hostility, but from the realization that she needed to do something without having to constantly depend on her girlfriend. Christen was initially a little hurt by this, but then quickly understood Tobin’s reasoning and hesitantly agreed.

Before even entering the back door of the building, Christen could hear the blaring sound of some sort of rock and roll emanating from the shop. Curiously and cautiously, the yoga instructor creaks the door open, almost expecting something to jump out at her or collide with her head. What she doesn’t expect (but can clearly see) is two twenty-something year old women jumping around the open space of the bike shop while simultaneously tending to broken bike frames. The sight makes Christen giggle as Kelley and Tobin haven't noticed her presence yet and continue to shamelessly jam out to, what sounds like, Bon Jovi’s greatest hits. 

Just as Tobin belts out the last chorus of “It’s My Life”, her eyes land on Christen who’s trying not to burst out in laughter. A blush starts creeping onto the mechanic’s face, but suddenly something in her says _fuck it_. She jumps on over to her girlfriend, swiftly taking their lunch out of her hands to put on the counter, and leads the woman to the center of the shop to start dancing with them. While timid at first - not really one to randomly dance in the middle of a bike shop - Christen quickly begins bopping around to the music, her arms swinging freely in the air as she starts to sing along to the lyrics just as loudly as Tobin is. 

When the song finally ends, Tobin goes to her phone and turns down the volume of the next song, all three women now slightly out of breath from their draining dance party. Tobin walks back over to Christen and gives a sweet kiss to her lips, whispering “Hi, love.” since she had decided to forgo a normal greeting when her girlfriend first entered. 

“Hi.” Christen whispers back, leaning in for another tender kiss. And another. And another. Before-

“Grooossssss!” Kelley whines in a perfectly matched pre-pubescent teenager voice. 

The two just glare at their consistently annoying friend as she continues her teasing. 

“Tobin and Christen, sittin’ in a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n-g.” she sing-songs before Tobin promptly lobs a roll of handlebar tape at Kelley’s unsuspecting head. “Hey!”

Tobin just laughs as she gives one last quick kiss to Christen’s lips and asks, “What’d you bring?”

“Some zucchini noodles and marinara sauce.” the tan woman answers, turning to her bag and pulling out the tupperware that houses their delicious food. 

“No more unhealthy, comfort food?” Tobin fake-whines, her grin letting Christen know that she’s just trying to be annoying. 

With a smirk, Christen teases back in a stern, mom voice, “Not if you wanna grow up to be big and strong.”

Tobin easily relents with an exaggerated sigh. “Well, zoodles it is.” she announces, actually being really excited to eat this undoubtedly scrumptious lunch. This enthusiasm shows when she devours the meal in seconds. Luckily, Kelley already brought her own (couple of) sandwiches for lunch, so Tobin didn’t have to share - not that she would have. 

As the three friends sit around in the shop, the previous rock and roll having been replaced with some more relaxing indie music, they take advantage of the calmness that comes with not worrying about any customers coming in. 

“How’s all the fixing and repairs and projects going?” Christen asks, closing up her empty food container. 

Tobin shrugs. “Eh, okay I guess. I can’t seem to get a really strong grip on tools and stuff, so I’ve just been doing more basic stuff. I’ll meet up with the doc and see what I can do about my hand later.”

Christen frowns at this, really hoping when Tobin had left this morning that everything would go seamlessly. But she knows this isn’t some easy transition into what was previously considered normal. Tobin catches this sympathetic look on her girlfriend’s face and adds reassuringly, “It’ll be okay. I kept my expectations low coming in, so ya’know… takin things one day at a time.”

“And you’ve been doing a lot of stuff around anyway.” Kelley comments in support. “Sure there’s some stuff here and there that you can’t do yet, but in the meantime, you’re still helping out.”

Tobin just smiles softly and murmurs, “Thanks, Kel.”

And they go back to sitting quietly during this Sunday afternoon. But almost at the same time, it dawned on all of them that there’s one discussion topic no one has dared to bring up, but something that all three of them know needs to be addressed at some point. 

Kelley, never one to simply dance around a topic, speaks up first. “Have you figured out the plan of action with your medical expenses?” she questions bluntly, but with a patient undertone in her voice. 

Tobin squirms nervously in her seat, fighting the slight urge within herself to try and run away from all of these looming problems. But she knows she can’t run away from this. And she knows that she needs to start letting people in - to let others help and support her with these struggles. “No.” she sighs solemnly. 

At that, the group is silenced again, not knowing where to go from that. 

Tobin’s insurance doesn’t cover the entire bill, the shop and her apartment were definitely not going anywhere, and the hope that rested with the driver paying for it ended up being a devastating dead end. Just as Kelley had said before, the police checked who the truck was registered to and found that the driver was under the influence and already had a history of DUI’s, public intoxication, and minor assault charges. The driver also had nothing. He barely had enough to get the alcohol that was flowing through his system during the collision, let alone enough to pay for any expenses. 

While Kelley wanted his sentencing to be two minutes alone with him and one of her trusty metal wrenches, the judge gave him a merciful four years in prison and required time in a rehab facility. But even if that sentencing is the product of “justice”, it doesn’t solve the problem of Tobin’s ruthless medical bills. 

After some fruitless thinking between the three women, Kelley leans back with a disappointed shake of her head. “Fuck dude. I don’t know how those folks at the hospitals live with themselves billing so much when they know you can’t really afford it.”

Tobin shrugs quietly, not knowing how to respond when that aggravating thought has already been whirling through her mind. 

“Like, how do they expect people to pay for medical care. And how is it fair that the dipshit that hit you just gets a free-card like that just? “ Kelley huffs, completely disgruntled by the country’s healthcare and judicial system. “You know how many GoFundMe’s I’ve seen just from people being like ‘hey, I can’t pay for my fucking...like... cancer treatment. Please help and send money!’ It’s sickening, dude.” 

“I mean, should we open a GoFundMe? Do you think that’d work?” Christen gently offers, not knowing exactly what Tobin’s response will be. 

Tobin’s face scrunches up. “I don’t know. Kinda feels, like, weird… doin’ that. Not really my, uh, M.O.”

After another beat of silence, Kelley unexpectedly springs from her relaxed state as if a lighting bolt has been shot through her small body. “Holy fuck, I’m a fucking genius!” she exclaims out with a sudden abundance of energy - none of it coming from the three bottles of Mountain Dew she had with lunch.

Tobin and Christen sit there, silently asking her to continue and explain her outburst of supposed “geniusness”. 

“Okay, so you know how you don’t have money to pay for these expenses without selling your soul to the hospital or to a bank?” Kelley questions with a grin, standing up from her seat because she apparently has too much energy to sit right now.

  
  
“Um, yes?” Tobin answers as more of a question than confirmation. 

Kelley’s grin gets bigger as she continues, “So you need money. And everyone who needs money but doesn’t have it starts a GoFundMe or something like that. But you said that you don’t wanna do that cause it’s not your M.O., which like, I totally understand and agree with.” 

Tobin looks confusingly at her freckled friend who’s acting like she’s just snuffed some cocaine. When the mechanic glances at Christen beside her, she also has a perplexed expression on her face. 

“But if there’s anything I know Tobin, it’s what your _exact_ M.O. is.” Kelley declares and Tobin’s glad that it sounds like she’s finally getting to the point of all this. “Bikes. Bikes are your M.O.”

And if that last statement was somehow supposed to make everything crystal clear for Tobin, it doesn’t. Because she’s still really fucking confused. So she responds, “Kel, to be honest, I’m still really fucking confused.”

Kelley lets out an exasperated sigh, like her idea is so blatantly obvious and Tobin should be able to understand everything she’s thinking from the jumble of words she’s just rambled out. “Tobin. Money. Fundraising. Bikes.” she tries to summarize her explanation in those four words and hopes that the mechanic will start putting the pieces together. 

Tobin’s pieces are still scrambled. 

But suddenly Christen’s eyes widen as she puts the pieces together and sees the entire mind-blowing picture Kelley’s trying to create. Tobin sees that Christen’s no longer confused as her girlfriend and best friend look at each other with eyes of wonder. She feels like she’s being left out on some joke as she looks between the two of them, waiting for someone to put the pieces together for her. 

“What the hell is going on? What are you talking about?” Tobin questions, tired of being the only one that doesn’t know whatever moment of genuineness is happening right now. 

Christen turns toward her girlfriend, finally ready to explain everything that was wordlessly expressed in her weird staring contest with Kelley. “Baby, Kelley’s talking about a bike fundraiser for you. Like a race or something that people can race in but will also be an event to raise money for your expenses!” she hurriedly explains, almost jumping out of her seat like Kelley had done. 

“And it won’t be like pity money or anything like that, Tobs.” Kelley quickly assures, knowing that the thought was already rising in Tobin’s mind. “It’d just be… folks donating to a cause. I mean, we don’t even have to say it’s going specifically towards your medical expenses!”

And at that, everything flashes through Tobin’s mind. The logistics, the planning, the race, the crowd, the operations, the staff, and all of it coming from her expert knowledge of hosting bike races.

And in the second that she thinks it through, a huge smile appears on her face. Because it could work. It could definitely work. With the growing number of cyclists already in the area and her connections with racers out of state, the store could absolutely host and operate a bike race/fundraiser event to at least take the load off of her expenses a bit. 

Tobin jumps out of her seat just like Kelley, and Christen springs up immediately afterwards. The excited mechanic hops over to her phone, puts Bon Jovi back on full blast, and the trio resumes their dance party with a newly invigorating amount of energy. 

~~~

Tobin and Christen are back in the store the very next day, almost bursting at the seams to tell Ashlyn and Sonnett all about this new idea. Tobin even insists on picking up some fresh donuts before coming in, just like she used to. 

When they park in the back lot the mechanic rushes ahead, donut box in tow, with the energy of a little kid and Christen can’t help but smile at how Tobin's mood has been significantly lighter since the accident. She clearly sees the carefree, joyful person she fell for begin to finally emerge again. And she couldn’t be more grateful. 

Generally, things have been running smoothly in terms of their routine and how they’re adapting to this new-ish lifestyle, especially with the recent move. They’ve practically revamped their previous routine, as if they feel like they need to make sure every day is meaningful and fulfilling to _over_ compensate for what was lost during the accident and the hospital and the medical bill fiasco. 

And obviously, Tobin has changed greatly since the accident and during her time in recovery. Besides the physical aspects of dealing with her stutter and her almost fully healed titanium leg and the sometimes sporadic movements of her hand, Tobin’s entire mindset on life has changed as well. Christen noticed this ever since Tobin had asked her to move in, but the mechanic seemed so much more _free_. 

She isn’t the Tobin that was set in her ways, clocking into work, training in her free time, then going home for a quick microwavable dinner. This new version of Tobin wanted to go out and stray from the normal day-to-day doings of life. With Christen by her side, the two started exploring new restaurants and taking weekends to go to museums and parks and city events. The accident had brought so much pain and hurt, but Tobin found herself becoming surprisingly grateful that the collision had so abruptly opened her eyes to the larger scale of life. And she wanted to experience everything that life has to offer.

The second Tobin flings the shop door open, she races into the staff room, delivers the pink box of pastries, and goes off to search for her tattooed best friend. Zipping around the store like a mad woman, Tobin can’t find her friend anywhere and she assumes that Ashlyn’s just running late. So she decides to just sit and wait with an old fashioned donut and her smokin’ girlfriend. Christen walks in at a much calmer pace, heading into the staff room where she had seen Tobin rush in. She giggles when she sees her girlfriend seated leisurely with her feet on the table and half a donut in her hand - like she hadn’t just been all over the shop seconds ago. 

“Did you eat my cake pop?” Christen questions with a smirk, putting her bag down onto one of the seats. 

With a mouth full of donut, Tobin responds, “ ‘Course not, love.” and she gestures towards the open box. “Still there waitin for you.”

Christen grins, knowing that Tobin wouldn’t have eaten her one sugary treat for the day, and she walks towards the display of donuts (making a quick detour to give her girlfriend a short kiss to her donut-filled cheek). 

With a sprinkle donut in Tobin’s hand and a cake pop in Christen’s, the two sit patiently and wait for the rest of their friends to check into the shop. They talk briefly about some of the details of this potential bike race fundraiser, as well as (very domestically), what to get at the store for dinner that night. 

Christen’s just about to convince Tobin to add a side salad to their dinner spread when Ashlyn walks in, talking with Sonnett behind her. 

“Hey!” Ashlyn exclaims, a big smile on her face and her arms already stretched out for a hug. “I didn’t know you were gonna come in today!”

“Yeah I wanted to surprise you!” Tobin joyfully replies, getting up and quickly pulling in to the familiar and warm embrace of her friend. 

The two had talked briefly after Tobin’s episode that led to that exhausting search-hunt. Tobin had apologized and Ashlyn had assured the mechanic that there was nothing to be sorry for - that they knew this recovery was going to be a bumpy road and they were here to offer support in any way necessary, even in the form of running around the city to find the elusive woman. As always, Ashlyn said exactly what Tobin could ever want to hear. 

Ashlyn pulls away from the hug and just gleams at her friend. “Well consider me surprised!” She then sees the rows of donuts in the open box and beelines for the table. “With donuts? God, you have permission to surprise me _whenever_ you feel like it.”

Tobin laughs. She’s always loved seeing and making her friends so happy. “Yeah, well I got another surprise for ya.” she prompts with a grin. Ashlyn takes a bite out of an Oreo covered donut and quirks her eyebrow with intrigue. The mechanic takes a seat and continues, “So, you know the whole deal with my medical bills, right?”

“Hmmhmm.” Ashlyn nods, moving Christen’s bag onto the table and sitting in the seat. “Kel filled me in on the main points, aka those bastards are all just money-hungry assholes.”

Tobin’s bright smile doesn’t falter one bit, moving right along with the big idea. “So I was unsure of how to go about everything, but yesterday Kel came up with the idea of the store organizing a sort of race fundraiser to raise some money!” 

Tobin’s so excited that the last few words come out in one rushed breath and she’s afraid that Ashlyn wasn’t actually able to make sense of her words. But when a gigantic smile makes its way onto the blond’s face, she knows she was heard. 

“Tobs! That’s an awesome idea!” Ashlyn hollers, some cookie crumbs falling from her uncontrollably wide smile. She stands to offer another passionate hug, which Tobin takes without hesitation. “It gets people out and cycling and helps grow the cycling community AND helps with your bills! Kel's a psycho, but I guess it pays off sometimes with ideas like this!”

“Yeah, that’s dope!” Emily adds as she walks over to take a seat at the table, a couple donuts in hand. 

  
“Well we should get started with planning if we want to maximize the time we have.” Christen comments, pulling out her laptop from her bag and getting right into research and spreadsheets and agendas. 

Tobin chuckles as she leans in for a quick kiss to the top of Christen’s head. “Love when you talk business like that.” she teases in a husky voice.

Christen rolls her eyes but smiles back, tilting her head up and asking for another kiss with puckered lips. Tobin obviously leans down and grants her a few short pecks. 

Once their sweetness is thoroughly exchanged, Christen leans back with an excited glimmer in her eye. “Let’s get planning, baby!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by Bon Jovi. do i have a specific bon jovi playlist? no. do i still find myself listening to bon jovi fairly frequently? hell to the yes. (also, not to be a tease, but the next chap is probably one of my favssss <3!!)


	16. part of the pack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin is sweaty, Kelley is tipsy, Eddy is adorable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoops, i really just hyped this chapter up as one of my favs and then forgot to post it haha i blame the fact that quarantine has made my perception of time obsolete (AND i was wrapped up in writing future chapters anyway so...) ;)

Christen is a much better planner and organizer than Tobin had ever thought. The details of this upcoming race are formed so efficiently by the yoga instructor, that the event practically forms itself. 

Everything starts coming together and there’s not a single aspect of the race that hasn’t been thought of or considered. Every potential problem or issue is addressed with a perfect solution, thanks to the collective minds of the group at the store. 

Ashlyn and Sonnett are excited, offering input on the features of races that they personally like and enjoy. Kelley and Christen are very pumped, both seeming to bond over their ability to construct such a large event. Together, they come up with the logistics and the course and they call up possible vendors and other sponsors - ultimately coordinating the hows and whens and wheres of this entire race. 

Everyone’s pretty excited to say the least.

But Tobin? 

Tobin’s fucking ecstatic about the entire thing. She bounces around to each of her friends - giving additional personal insight to Ashlyn, bringing up the unpredictability of the weather to Kelley - and, of course, supplying a constant quantity of donuts during all of their meetings. 

They face challenges while trying to plan this event - it's not entirely smooth sailing despite everybody’s passionate efforts. The main struggle is just finding possible times to meet up and plan, especially with having the store's normal working hours six days of the week and Christen on the very brink of opening the yoga studio (finally) and Tobin's various doctors appointments. Sometimes they have to squeeze in a quick brainstorming session during lunch breaks or occasionally everyone would wind up meeting at Tobin's apartment after work for dinner and more planning (now that Christen brought the supplies needed to actually have people over for dinner). 

But even with having to work around everybody's specific time frames, the group is still able to make significantly long strides in actually nailing down the details of this race. With such a motivated collaboration of women pouring everything they've got into making this the perfect event, things seem to fall into place surprisingly quickly.

And that knowledge that the pieces are moving and the race is coming together, in turn, creates an additional boost of energy that everyone seems to thrive off of at every planning session.

~~~

Two very important developments make their way into Tobin's life during all of this planning and organizing for the bike race.

The first is the arrival of Eddy.

Eddy makes his debut appearance when Tobin's frequent doctor visits only seem to weigh the mechanic down instead of building her back up. 

Tobin would personally consider herself 99% fully healed, but the fact that her doctors and physical therapists keep having her come in suggests otherwise.

Her titanium leg (something Kelley loves to bring up at every opportunity) is fully recovered - experiencing the very rare feeling of stiffness from time to time. Her ribs and arm are just like new with the only evidence of damage being a few reminding scars on her side and elbow. The stutter hardly makes an appearance much to Tobin's delight and the 1% of injury she has yet to overcome is still the weakness and sometimes erratic movements of her left hand. 

Besides the necessary checkups, this is the main reason why Tobin finds herself at doctors appointments and inside hospitals these days. She has sessions a few times a week, the main focus being to strengthen her hand and allow easier movement of the joints, especially when holding items. 

Sadly, she was met early on in this particular recovery process with the fact that her hand may never be exactly the same as before - that this is more a consequence of her brain injury than any physical type of damage she can simply fix up. Obviously, Tobin was very upset with this news, having fallen asleep in Christen's comforting arms and a stream of unstoppable tears the day her physical therapist informed her of this unfortunate fact. 

But nevertheless, Tobin picked herself up as she’s had to do so often and she found a way to move on. It hurts her heart, now being subject to very basic and borderline mundane repairs in the shop. She gets frustrated at this new reality fairly frequently (a short-temper also being another unwanted and undesired aftereffect of the entire accident). But every time she feels this frustration or sometimes disappointment or anger, she forces herself to take a moment - to calm down and remember how fucking lucky she is to even be alive right now. 

As frequently as she gets irritated during work, she’s learned to make her way out of the shop and breath in some fresh, relaxing air outside for a minute. If her anger feels too suffocating, she occasionally takes the needed walk around the block to cool down. Everyone working in the store understands the necessity behind these periodic breaks and, of course, they never draw attention to it. They learn to trust that this is the reason behind the mechanic's absence and not that she's run off or something (but it doesn’t stop them from checking up on Tobin’s whereabouts every five minutes while she’s out of the shop).

These behavioral changes, as well as the physical ones, were the reasons why Dr. Clark suggested getting a service dog for Tobin. 

A service dog would not only assist the mechanic in basic daily functions, such as medication reminders (even though she has Christen for that) or grabbing things for her, but the dog would also help detect and assist with potential seizures that could occur. Besides the physical benefits of a service dog, Clark emphasized the emotional benefits of having a canine companion as well - to offer therapeutic abilities in times of stress and frustration. 

Tobin very quickly got on board with this idea and, with very little needed persuasion, soon Christen was just as excited about this possible addition to their lives.

After an anticipation-filled few months of waiting (much to Tobin's luck, Dr. Clark was able to _significantly_ speed up the typical year-or-more long wait for a service dog) the couple introduced a beautiful german shepherd into their lives.

Tobin instantly fell in love with the pup - his affection and obedience and adorableness and adventurous characteristics complement the mechanic’s own lifestyle. The two become synced with each other so quickly that Christen jokes that interacting with the service dog is almost the same as interacting with Tobin herself. 

Tobin also knows it’s a match made in heaven because the given name of the dog is Eddy. When the couple had found out the service dog’s name on his profile before getting him, Christen was definitely confused at Tobin’s ecstatic reaction. But the mechanic explained that Eddy is coincidentally the name of one of the most famous cyclists in history (that Christen has never heard of). Nonetheless, the two easily make a place for Eddy in their lives and they couldn't have been more excited.

But the second development in Tobin's life happened to start just in time for Eddy's arrival.

Nightmares began plaguing Tobin's nights at the same time as when the group started organizing the whole bike race, fundraiser shebang, making a very inconvenient place in the mechanic's sleep cycle. These horrific dreams result in a sudden and abrupt jolt into consciousness very early in the morning - complete with sweat filled sheets, ragged breathing, and a churning feeling in Tobin’s stomach. 

Unfortunately, these rude awakenings cause Christen to wake up as well, usually being positioned cozily next to the mechanic in their bed. But the yoga instructor forces her eyes to stay open in these moments, offering a glass of water and hugs and kisses and the promise of safety. And of course it concerns her, she hates seeing her girlfriend go through these uncontrollable, traumatic scenes in her head at night. She suggested possibly meeting with a therapist of some sort to talk through whatever is playing through Tobin’s head, but she got a vehement refusal very quickly.

Tobin's yet to open up or illustrate these nightmares to anyone, not even to Christen. But it's the same almost every night and it scares her shitless almost every night.

Christen has a suspicion that they're about the bike accident and she'd technically be correct. 

It's just not in the exact way that she thinks.

The nightmare begins with Tobin walking down the familiar streets of Chicago, just taking a simple stroll and gazing at the various buildings that she's grown accustomed to, but still finds extensive joy in looking at. It's really the makings of any other boring dream, but it's when she turns onto a recognizable intersection that her heart starts to thump within her chest. It's the four-way intersection of her bike accident that took place seemingly so long ago. She walks towards it hesitantly, but also with a forcibly calm demeanor.

And she stands at the corner and starts feeling safe again. There's no panic or fear and she actually begins to find a sort of peace at this place that's caused so much trauma in her life. 

Suddenly, she sees Christen across the street from her. Her girlfriend's in one of the lanes on her classic teal cruiser bike, her foot set securely on the ground and her memorable bright smile accompanying those magnificent green eyes. Tobin obviously smiles at the sight as she waves at the woman, trying to get her attention. 

It's only when Christen's light turns green that she sees Tobin at the corner. She starts pedaling towards the mechanic with her gleaming smile still plastered on her tan face.

Then everything afterwards happens in treacherous slow motion. 

Tobin sees an enormous truck slowly barreling in the direction of her girlfriend. Christen doesn't seem to notice as she continues to pedal forward in slow-mo, but Tobin shouts at her. She sees what's unfolding and she yells, she screams at Christen to watch out and move out of the way, but the woman doesn't hear her calling. Tobin tries to run towards her girlfriend, but she looks down and her legs are moving just as slowly as everything else around her, except her eyes and mind function normally. 

And it's right before the impact, mere seconds before the actual collision of the truck and Christen on her bike, that Tobin abruptly shoots into consciousness in her bed with sweat beads running down her face and her shirt sticking to her drenched body like she's just jumped into a pool. Her head instinctively whips to Christen, usually seeing her girlfriend laying there but starting to stir slightly at the sudden movements. 

Tobin hates how her brain is once again betraying her. With Eddy around, she's been able to wake up a little less frantically, often with the dog coming up from his bed near the door and giving comforting nudges with his fuzzy head and wet kisses to the mechanic's face. 

But it doesn't change the constant recurrence of this nightmare and it doesn't change the way these graphic images seem to flash within Tobin’s mind unexpectedly throughout the day. 

There just doesn’t seem to be a way to escape it. 

~~~

“Eddy! Ed! Come here, boy!” Tobin calls from her seat, a small piece of the group’s lunch in her hand. She mistakenly glances at the stern, disapproving look that she already knew is set firmly on Christen’s face. But quickly, Tobin averts her eyes as if she’s completely innocent to what’s about to happen.

The attentive dog rises from his spot laying on the floor and he prances toward where his name is being called. 

“Tobs…” Christen says in a low warning. “You know that you’re not supposed to feed him human food, especially at the table. It goes against his training.” 

“But baby, he’s part of the pack now! He needs to eat some of what we’re eating to feel like he belongs.” the mechanic innocently reasons, still keeping the small bite of chicken out of reach from the dog. Eddy sits in front of Tobin obediently, tail wagging back and forth against the shop floor as the canine’s big, warm eyes stay locked on the piece of food in front of him. 

Christen sighs in hearing this weird, primitive school of thought. She gets this same excuse from her girlfriend every time this happens. “He already feels like part of the ‘pack’ or whatever cause he’s with us 24/7. Honey, he’s got a purpose and a job and you’re undoing his training.”

Tobin gives her own pleading, puppy-dog eyes, even sticking her bottom lip out a little to really lay it on thick. All the while, everyone else in the room is watching silently, on the brink of bursting out in laughter at this standoff between the two women. 

And with a defeated shake of her head and another sigh, Christen relents. “Ugh. Fine Tobs. Go ahead. It’d be unfair not to give him the food now, since you’ve been waving it around in his face.”

Tobin gleams back with a victorious grin, throwing the piece of chicken into the air and letting Eddy skillfully catch the food in his awaiting mouth as it falls back towards the ground. 

“ _Oh my god…_ ” Christen mutters in response to the circus-like theatrics of the two. Eddy chews happily on his offering and stays seated near Tobin, comfortably resting his head on the mechanic’s leg as a thank you. Christen can’t even stay mad for very long when she sees the adorable, matching honey-colored eyes of her girlfriend and their dog. 

“Looks like you got two charmers in your life now, Chris.” Ashlyn remarks as they all laugh and lighten the mood. 

“You mean, three?” Kelley smirks, pointing to herself and everyone really laughs at that. “What? I’m a frickin charmer. I mean, I got Chris to go on a date with me.” she reminds the group. 

Tobin scoffs, softly petting her dog’s head as she retorts, “More like you fixed her bike and then creepily hit on her.” 

Right when Kelley opens her mouth to respond, a playfully argumentative look in her eye, Christen interjects and announces, “Okay, okay guys. Cool it. We all got places to be so let’s…” She lets the sentence trail off as she gestures with her hands at the mess on the table, signaling for everyone to start cleaning up the cluttered remnants of their lunch. 

They all start moving, discarding empty containers and wiping down crumbs from the table. Eddy goes back to his spot on the shop floor to stay out of the way and the staff room is quickly back to its usual state of cleanliness (which is still pretty messy). 

“We’re gonna head out guys! Thanks for lunch!” Tobin yells out, halfway out the shop door with her right hand holding Christen's and her left clasping Eddy’s leash. 

“ “Course Tobs! After tomorrow, are you comin for a half day or a full day?” Kelley shouts back. 

Tomorrow is _finally_ the yoga studio’s opening day, after putting it off for what seems like decades. Tobin is maybe more excited than Christen is and to the yoga instructor’s surprise, everyone in the store is taking the day from work to come and support as well. 

Tobin chuckles as she hears her freckled friend being reprimanded for yelling in the store again. But she responds, “Full day Kel! Remember, I’m gonna try some painting!”

“Right. See ya Tobs!” Kelley calls back at a lower volume, but she's still basically yelling. 

And at that, Tobin, Christen, and Eddy all head towards the car. The mechanic opens the door to the back of her 80’s Land Rover Defender and with a whistle command, her german shepherd leaps into the open space and settles onto the dog blanket placed on the floor. Tobin makes her way to the driver’s seat and before starting the engine, she leans over the center console to give a quick peck to Christen’s gleeful lips. 

When Tobin pulls back, she stays hovered near her girlfriend’s face with her arm propped against the arm rest. “I’m sorry about feeding Eddy.” she mutters into the centimeter of space between their faces. The dog pops his head up at his name being called and the two look back and laugh. When they make eye contact once more, Tobin continues, “It’s just so hard not to spoil that guy. But I’ll make sure he stays on course and keeps up with his obedience training.” 

Christen brings an affectionate hand up to softly graze Tobin’s cheek. With total heart eyes she replies, “Thank you, honey. And I know it’s hard not to spoil him. I happen to feel the same way with you.” and the two chuckle lightly. 

“But you’ll make sure I stay on course and keep up with my obedience training?” Tobin quips back with a smirk, turning her head slightly to kiss the palm of Christen’s hand. 

“Always.” the yoga instructor promises with a laugh. 

And Tobin leans in for one final kiss, humming an “I love you” against their lips before sitting back with a grin and turning the key in the ignition. 

~~~

“You nervous?” Tobin asks as the two walk towards the brand new yoga studio that’s about to be unveiled.

“I guess… I think I’m more excited than nervous though.” Christen responds, feeling energetic as she joyfully swings their clasped hands between them. “I’m just _so_ ready for the studio to finally open and start actually operating like a business. It feels like it’s just been sitting there with no use or purpose.”

Tobin tenses slightly at this and Eddy seems to notice, looking up at the mechanic with a quirk of his fuzzy head as if asking what’s got her on edge all of a sudden. She gently pets the dog’s head in reassurance and, now noticing Eddy’s reaction, Christen wonders what’s going through Tobin’s mind as well. 

“Are you okay?” the yoga instructor tenderly asks, slowing their walking pace to a stop as she turns her body to check in with her girlfriend.

With a sigh, Tobin answers, “Yeah… I just…” She takes a moment to try and think of how to articulate her thoughts, briefly looking down at the comforting sight of Eddy obediently sitting close to her leg with watchful brown eyes - like he’s listening just as closely as Christen is. “I guess I still feel bad about you having to push back this big day just cause I was dumb and got into a bike accident and then got all of these problems…” 

Her girlfriend’s quiet admission makes Christen’s heart break. She frowns at these words that, unfortunately, remind her of the selfless proposition Tobin had felt the need to make before - an open exit from their relationship before any more issues eventually presented themselves. And the memory still stings in Christen's body.

Christen looks down at where their feet point to each other as she loosely grabs both of her girlfriend’s hands. Tobin casually drops Eddy’s leash (knowing her dog is well-trained enough to not run away), and she takes a firmer hold of Christen’s hands.

When Christen looks back up to Tobin’s waiting gaze, she gently states, “Baby, you know that accident wasn’t your fault. It was that driver’s fault for being under the influence and making the wrong decision to take his humongous truck onto the road when he clearly wasn't in the right mind to be driving.”

Tobin just responds with a silent nod. 

So Christen continues, “And I would gladly push back the studio’s opening for another billion years if it meant that you are taken care of and that you are safe and healthy.”

Tobin gives a small, little smile. “Wellll, a billion years is _kind of_ a long time to wait for my yoga class.” she lightly jokes and gets the desired laugh out of her girlfriend. 

When Christen’s chuckling dies down and all that’s left is her adoring gaze, she looks - really _looks_ \- into Tobin’s eyes. “Baby…” she starts.

“-I know.” Tobin quietly interrupts her, already understanding everything that’s been said and everything that's waiting to be said. After a moment of some kind of telepathy between the two women, every message being conveyed through affectionate eyes and warm smiles, Tobin confidently proclaims in a whisper, “I love you.”

Christen doesn’t think she’ll ever get tired of those three words as she responds, “And I love you.” 

They seal this eternal promise with a passionate kiss, only pulling away when they hear a sort of questioning whine from Eddy below them. The two break apart in laughter and, of course, promptly shower the pooch in loving pets all over his fur-covered body. Picking up his leash, the family of three make their way to the awaiting yoga studio.

When they get to the building, (not-so-newly refurbished because they’ve been pushing this back for so long), it still continues to shine with an opening day glow. 

Christen lets go of Tobin’s hand as they approach the blond that’s waiting excitedly in front of the glass doors. With a delighted squeal, she scurries towards Julie and brings her into a tight embrace, the two women's combined enthusiasm expressed by the tightness of their hug. When they pull back, Julie swiftly digs into her pocket and brings out a metal ring with two shiny, new keys dangling from it. 

“Would you like to do the honors, Mrs. Press.” she tries to ask in a formal tone but the excitement is still clearly evident in her voice. 

“Oh, it’d be my pleasure, Mrs. Ertz.” Christen plays into the role, responding in the same courtly way that Julie had. 

Just as she turns to make her way to the door and unlock their brand new yoga studio for the first official time, Tobin quickly blurts out, “Wait!”

Christen and Julie’s heads whip back in surprise, slight panic in their eyes at the sudden objection. 

But Tobin just offers a knowing smirk in response to their questioning looks as an anticipating pause occurs. And then unexpectedly, Kelley, Ashlyn, Emily, and Ali all jump out from around the corner of the building, complete with a large “Congratulations!” sign and mini confetti cannons and champagne and plastic stadium horns. 

Christen and Julie jump back in surprise but huge smiles quickly replace their brief fear-struck faces. 

“CONGRATULATIONS!!” they all yell out, the loud exclamation followed by horn noises and the confetti cannons being popped open. With the colorful bits of tissue-paper flying in the sky (the group made sure to get biodegradable confetti, knowing that Christen would ultimately prefer that), Kelley takes a firm grip on the bottle of champagne in her hands and quickly pulls the cork off, letting the bubbly drink flood over the spout and onto the sidewalk. 

They all take turns walking over to Christen and Julie to exchange hugs and words of praise to the new business owners. Even though most of them aren’t very familiar with Julie, they still engulf her in love and the high energy of celebration. 

“Go on then! Don’t let us interrupt!” Ashlyn retorts eagerly, gesturing to the door of the studio. With an even wider smile than before, Christen hurries back to putting the key in, turning it, and briskly opening the door to the yoga studio. She’s done this same action a multitude of times, having to come in and finalize details and whatnot. But this obviously erupts different emotions within her, having the door unlocked and open in such an _official_ way. 

Everybody crowds into the building at once (with Christen having to open the second door in order to let everyone come in smoothly). The celebration continues inside with an abundance of compliments on decor and furniture organization pleasantly filling the new owners’ ears. 

Christen’s heart feels like it’s about to explode with love - matching that explosiveness with the champagne bottle popped outside. She sips the celebratory wine from a small plastic flute that was also brought in and she can’t seem to get over how much love she feels for all her friends that have come to support her in this monumental accomplishment. 

“I mean, I’m more of a beer kinda gal, but I love some good bubbly every once in a while.” Kelley grins, offering a wink as she chugs the remaining liquid in her flute with the same vigor as shotgunning a can of Coors. 

To get back to the sentimental aspect of the event, Ashlyn smiles as she says, “Congrats, Chris and Julie. This is really a cool thing you two've done here.”

“Yeah, and we’re all totally gonna be joinin’ in on all of your classes!” Emily adds as she pours some more champagne into her glass. “Like, the instant I walked in, my body was already trying to force me into ‘downward dog’.” The group all laughs, letting joy and happiness and alcohol flow freely in the refreshing newness of the place.

“To Chris and Julie and the new studio!” Tobin exclaims with a wide smile, proudly raising her drink up in cheers. Hoots and hollers are voiced in agreement throughout the group as they all follow suit, raising their glasses up before collectively sipping from their flutes. 

When Tobin finishes downing her drink, she sets her glass down and wraps an arm around Christen’s shoulders as she leans in to give a big, juicy smooch to her girlfriend’s tan face. Christen just giggles in response, also finishing her drink as she brings her arms up to wrap around her girlfriend’s midsection. 

“You guys,” she starts in an admiring tone. “This is so sweet. All of it.” And six pairs of loving eyes look back at Christen as she continues on. “You obviously didn’t have to do all this but… it just really means a lot that you did…” She starts choking up as tears find their way to the edges of her eyes. 

“Don’t cry, Press! If you cry then I’m gonna cry.” Kelley exclaims, already tipsy and emotional as she brings the neckline of her shirt up to dab away some escaping moisture from her eyes. The group laughs when Eddy - always on duty - makes his way over to the woman and nudges at her hand with his head to lend some innate, doggy comfort. 

“Okay, okay…” Christen sniffles, not wanting the number of times she’s cried this year to keep adding up. “No tears! Let’s just drink!” She raises her glass into the air and the action brings another round of cheers within the group. 

After more communal sipping of champagne, Tobin tightens her arm around Christen’s shoulders, effectively bringing the woman closer into her embrace and giving them a slight moment, just for each other. The mechanic leans her lips closer to Christen’s ear and whispers happily, “Congrats baby. I love you so much.”

And Christen can’t hold back the single, thankful tear that falls from her eye - being at her amazing new yoga studio, in the embrace of her amazing girlfriend, and surrounded by the pure bliss of her amazing friends. 

There’s truly nowhere else in the world she’d rather be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by dogs. i luv dogs. this is y this chapter is one of my favs hehe hope yall enjoyed the chapter even though i posted it late!


	17. Create.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kelley’s still a really great friend, Tobin is tired

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome back to drama city: population me. and only me. cus im the only one doing this to u guys hahaha but even tho i posted the last chapter late, we still here for that midweek update!

"We gotta at least put your name on it or something, Tobs." Kelley frustratingly groans, getting tired of this back and forth disagreement with her best friend. She's really trying to keep things calm, especially considering the fact that Tobin's short-temper only stays dormant as long as the mechanic can keep focusing on the specific emotional techniques she's had to learn. 

But Tobin's finding those techniques difficult to maintain at the moment. 

And she can feel herself on the brink of an emotional eruption.

"When you proposed this idea in the beginning, you said we could keep my name out of it - that I could stay anonymous through the whole thing." the mechanic remarks in a low, steady tone, but there are undeniable hints of anger behind every single one of her words. 

Nevertheless, she puts some of her emotional management techniques into practice. 

She tries to keep her breathing level and her heart rate low. 

She maintains eye contact with Eddy's big, warm eyes. 

And she attempts to alleviate the shakiness of her anger-filled hands through the therapeutic stroking of her service dog’s soft fur. 

Kelley irritatingly sighs and hopes to massage out some of the stress in her temples with a tense hand. 

It's Sunday and the team's Sunday meetings usually only consist of Kelley, Tobin, and Christen since the store isn’t technically open for business. Recently though, Christen has only been able to drop off some lunch for the three, listen to a few minutes of whatever bits of planning the other two women have come up with, and then head back to the yoga studio to keep prepping for the rest of her work week at the studio. 

The yoga instructor is due to arrive any second now and Kelley just needs to come to a consensus with Tobin before Christen can lay witness to the mechanic's borderline-explosive demeanor. 

The issue is that after a few stressful months of planning, the team has finally nailed down most of the details and logistics of this bike fundraiser event. They got the route, the definitive date of the race, the needed permits, additional sponsorships, the staff, everything.

Everything except for their plan of action for the race’s advertisement and publicity.

They kept this aspect more on the back burner throughout this process simply because it didn't feel like a priority in comparison to the big moving parts of such a large event.

But now they're finally addressing the subject of how to promote the entire race to the public and that's where Kelley and Tobin are currently butting heads. Kelley believes that Tobin's image needs to be part of the advertising for the event, but Tobin doesn't want the attention that sticking her name out there will inevitably bring. 

And so the two are at a very tense stalemate.

While Kelley obviously knows it's important to keep Tobin from blowing up over this, she finds herself almost _wanting_ her friend to aggressively yell and argue back to her. She doesn't know if it's the way Tobin's refusing to look her in the eye or the fact that she's not used to being in an argument where the other person is so eerily calm, but the whole situation is far too foreign to Kelley and she doesn't know how to go about it.

With a short, forced exhale, Kelley continues on her seemingly fruitless efforts to convince her stubborn friend to see things her way (and do so before her stubborn friend's girlfriend gets here). "I _never_ said that we would keep you completely anonymous in this whole thing, Tobin. What I said was that we don’t have to explicitly mention that the money is going to your hospital expenses. But if we want as many people to sign up and donate under the belief that the money is going to a good cause, they need a name or a face to associate that 'good cause' with!" Kelley exclaims, her voice getting progressively louder throughout the explanation.

"I hear you, Kelley.” Tobin bites out, still trying to keep her voice steady. “But I don't wanna be some sad-faced victim asking for peoples' money. I don't wanna guilt people, especially racers that I might know, into doing this race simply cause I'm too b-broke to pay for my own damn m-medical expenses.” The mechanic huffs out a tense breath, reminding herself to avoid cursing because she’s learned that doing so only seems to throw gas onto the emotional bonfire within her. It definitely doesn’t help that her recurring nightmare is making her operate off of an unsteady two/three hours of sleep per night for the last few months.

After taking a moment to compose herself, Tobin suddenly rises from her seated position, the scraping noise of the stool shifting back authoritatively concluding their conversation, at least for the time being. With a tight grip on Eddy’s leash, Tobin declares, “I’m gonna go get some air.”

And with that, Kelley watches her friend exit the shop, knowing that taking a few minutes to cool down is probably the smartest idea for both of them. 

Christen comes in sooner after and she must not have seen Tobin and Eddy outside because when she walks into the shop she immediately asks, “Where’s Tobs and Ed?”

Kelley resists the urge to make some snarky comment about not saying hello to her first before realizing that doing so would probably be inappropriate right now. “Went for a cool down walk. We kinda… had an emotional disagreement earlier.” she admits, feeling a bit shameful for being the reason why the mechanic had to get some air in the first place. 

“How long has it been?” Christen quickly questions in a concerned voice. 

“Only three minutes.” the shorter woman reports, knowing the five-minute system they have in place and already planning on checking where Tobin is after the five minutes have passed. 

At the reassurance, Christen breaths a little easier and nods in understanding. She takes one of the tin foil wrapped lunch burritos and hands it to her friend before grabbing her own. Then the two wait the additional two minutes for either Tobin to come back or for one of them to go out and find where she’s gone. 

It’s not like they have a tracker on her or anything (although technically Eddy has a location device on him, so that’d be a very last resort, emergency plan if needed). Tobin knows about this five-minute system and while she protested at first, the woman finally reasoned that if it keeps her friends from worrying too much, it’s ultimately not detrimental to her in any way. Plus, she knows that her friends just want to make sure she stays safe, especially if something as unpredictable as a seizure occurs, in which she’d definitely want someone to know where she is. So when frustrated and in need of a walk, Tobin will grab her phone (even though she personally asked for no one to call or text her unless absolutely necessary), grab Eddy’s leash, and head out for exactly five minutes. 

In the silence, Christen suddenly informs into the atmosphere of the shop, “She’s been having nightmares.” and Kelley looks back with a concerned expression on her face. She’s noticed that her friend seems a bit slow-moving at times, but she blamed this on the mechanic’s hand issues, or getting used to full working hours again, or any of the seemingly endless number of issues Tobin’s been dealing with. 

“I don’t know what they’re about - she won’t tell me. But I think it has something to do with the accident. Like some sort of traumatic, PTSD thing. I want her to talk with a therapist or… anyone really, but I think she’s still working on opening up to people.” Christen continues solemnly. 

Kelley just sighs sympathetically. She understands now why Tobin had been so on edge in their argument and it makes her regret trying to push the subject when the mechanic isn’t in the best state of mind to really think about such an important decision. Not really knowing how to respond to this new information, Kelley simply takes the yoga instructor’s hand in hers and lightly squeezes it before the two sit back in awaited silence once again.

After exactly five minutes have passed, they hear the faint but distinct jingle of Eddy’s dog collar coming closer and closer. 

Tobin drops the dog’s leash as she comes in and Eddy strolls to his water bowl. She sees her girlfriend and the two women immediately walk into a welcoming hug - Christen’s grasp being a little tighter than usual but Tobin seems to understand the reason behind it. 

“Hey pretty lady.” Tobin breaths out as she pulls back from the embrace, putting on a soft smile to try and erase the anxious thoughts that she knows are clouding the yoga instructor’s mind. 

“Hi,” Christen responds with an adoring giggle. She brings a tender hand up to Tobin’s face, as if she has to feel under her own fingertips that the woman in front of her is really here. 

Tobin chuckles lightly at this action. “You aren't dreaming." she teases with a grin. “What’s for lunch today?”

“Burritos with fresh vegetables. I think there’s some cubes of baked tofu in there too.” Christen recalls and she reluctantly detaches herself from the hug to grab Tobin’s tinfoil-wrapped food. When the mechanic has opened the casing to expose the warm flour tortilla of her burrito, she sits back down on her stool and dives right in. 

“Mmm… this is so great…Thank you.” Tobin mumbles out between mouthfuls of food. 

“Of course, honey,” Christen delightfully responds but the way she nervously bites her bottom lip is a telltale sign that there’s more she wants to say and question and address. 

With an unwilling, but ready sigh, Tobin pulls the half-eaten burrito down from her face and keeps it low in her lap. “Kelley and I got into a bit of a disagreement and... I just wanted to take Ed out on a walk to stretch his legs.” Tobin explains, not wanting to explicitly bring attention to the fact that the walk was primarily for her own well-being.

Christen really wants to ask more questions and get more insight, but in checking her phone's clock, she sees that she doesn’t really have the time to get into it before needing to head back to the yoga studio. So for now, she gives a tight lipped smile that tells Tobin they’re going to talk about this in detail later. 

The three women go about the rest of their limited time together as usual, with light conversation and delicious food. When Christen has to leave, despite dragging out her break to the last millisecond, Tobin bids farewell with a quick kiss and a promise to bring home something for them to eat for dinner. And of course, Eddy gives some slobbery farewell kisses all over the woman’s smiley tan face. 

Then it’s just Kelley and Tobin in the shop once again. But the two seem to mutually agree to table their heated discussion for another time - when it’s not so… heated. 

They get back to their separate projects, the only sound coming from the calming “Helping Heaths’ Classics” playlist that Ashlyn had put together on the work computer. Kelley is handling a new shipment of bike locks - unpacking and restocking. She doesn’t love doing these bland types of tasks, but she’s here on a Sunday afternoon to get shit done. 

Tobin has been saying for weeks that she’s going to try some painting soon, but everyday her airbrush and paint supplies go untouched. She’s scared - that’s obvious enough to admit. There’s more stress in trying the delicate, fine painting that requires a steady hand, but she’s still nervous even about simple airbrushing that, at one point in the past, she could easily do blindfolded (not that she ever would). 

This established anxiousness is the reason why Kelley is pleasantly surprised when she finally sees the mechanic pulling out her trusty air compressor along with the needed airbrush supplies. And with a shy but determined smile from Tobin’s face, Kelley simply nods in support of her friend’s actions before focusing back on her own work. 

Tobin puts the machine together like second nature, not even having to think about what she’s doing as her hands move with a mind of their own. Before she knows it, everything is all set up and waiting for her to flip on the switch and start painting. 

But as she stares at the bare, test frame set up in front of her, airbrush readily in hand, she’s frozen with uncertainty of what to do next. Obviously she knows what’s next: turn on the compressor and start spraying pressurized paint onto the awaiting piece of metal. But at the same time, it's like her body can’t seem to make those simple movements happen. 

Fear begins to rush into Tobin’s mind like a tsunami, but it's not from being scared that she physically won’t be able to paint again. 

It’s the sudden panic that the _creative_ aspect of her art has been removed along with whatever piece of skull was taken during her brain surgery. 

And this horrific thought is even worse than what she’d been afraid of at the start of this. 

While Kelley did get back to work after proudly seeing her friend round up the different airbrush parts, the freckled woman still excitedly peaks in every now and then to see the artistic progress. But after periodically looking back at Tobin’s noticeable _lack_ of progress and beginning to hear little whimpers from Eddy, Kelley grows concerned about what’s preventing any spectacular pieces of art from being created. 

She doesn’t want to interrupt whatever artistic flow might be swirling around the mechanic’s head, but as she sees the back of Tobin’s unmoved body as well as the canine companion nudging his head against the woman’s leg for attention, Kelley can’t help herself from asking, “How’s everything goin, Tobs?”

Tobin’s completely spaced out so it takes her a moment to catch up to reality. Without turning around, she merely replies with a slow, unsure, “Umm….”

Kelley’s eyebrows pinch together at the wordless response and she starts to worry that Tobin’s having some sort of seizure or mental emergency. She makes her way over to her friend’s statue-like figure and places a gentle hand on the woman’s shoulder to turn her around. 

As Tobin slowly faces her friend, an evident tear slips from her tired, dark eyes. Kelley quickly realizes the reason behind the alerting noises from Eddy, but she’s completely clueless as to what’s got the mechanic crying right now (especially while holding art supplies that typically bring joy to the woman’s mood). She pulls Tobin into a comforting hug, deciding to wait before questioning the origin of her tears. It’s even more heartbreaking when the mechanic immediately latches back onto Kelley’s body with bone-crushing strength. 

Kelley sits them down as they continue to embrace and she waits for any sort of direction from her friend. 

If Tobin wants to talk, Kelley will listen. If she wants to stay attached to Kelley’s body, they’ll continue holding onto each other. And if she just wants to cry, Kelley will stay right next to her and care for her and help in any way possible. 

The decision is finally made when Tobin sluggishly pulls away - eyes glassy from shedding a few more tears - and she clears her throat in preparation to speak. As if knowing that she needs a little more encouragement, Eddy nestles his head under Tobin’s empty hand to ask for pets, and the mechanic smiles as she runs her hand soothingly across the top of the pooch’s head.

When Tobin looks back up to Kelley’s questioning eyes, she collects as much confidence as she can and tries to do something she’s been working on since the bike accident - letting people in.

“I tried to start painting again…” she starts in a frail tone. “And… it’s not that my hand couldn’t do it. But it's like my head couldn’t.” Tobin’s finding it hard to explain everything she’s thinking, not able to exactly find the right words. But Kelley just nods in support, recognizing that expressing her thoughts and struggles is a skill that Tobin is still trying to master. So Kelley stays patiently silent in order to let the woman continue on as best she can. 

“I-I was afraid that my hand couldn’t do it, couldn’t paint like I used to. But now I’m more afraid that maybe I just don’t have the… like… artistic ability to create.” Another tear escapes and it slowly slips down the heavy bags beneath her eyes as she voices these fears into the universe. It’s only after she wipes the moisture away and stays silent that Kelley knows the woman is done talking. 

“I think you’re right.” Kelley states and Tobin’s tired eyes widen in surprise, not expecting her best friend to agree with the doubts she’d expressed. Seeing this look of shock, Kelley quickly corrects, “Not about losing your creativity!” and Tobin seems to relax a bit at the clarification, continuing to gently pet her dog’s fluffy head. 

With her thoughts as well composed as possible, Kelley starts to explain, “Tobs, I think you still have that same creativity and artistic ability within you… actually, I _know_ you still have it. What I think you’re right about is that it’s not an issue of whether you can physically do it. Because, I mean, I’m no Picasso, but it’s my understanding that art is an internal sort of thing, not just how skilled or able your hands are. So I think this is just a mental wall you’re hitting, yeah?”

Tobin nods in agreement. It definitely feels like she’s hitting a wall. A really tough wall. Made of like, fifty layers of cement or something. 

“So how do you usually break through these barriers?" the freckled woman asks. 

And at that question, Tobin actually has to stop and consider what she did in the past when met with a creative block. It's hard to think of anything because, not to sound cocky, but she never had any considerably tough issues in any of her paint jobs. So when nothing comes to mind, Tobin just silently shrugs in response.

Kelley acknowledges Tobin's answer and, like a great friend, tries to come up with a solution of some sort. As said before, art isn't especially her forte (which is why Tobin always handled the custom paint jobs), but she's willing to try and think up some way to get her friend back into the creative mindset. 

After a few contemplative minutes, Kelley finally prompts,"Okay Tobs, how about this..." Tobin looks up and gives her full attention to whatever sort of wacky idea she assumes is going to spill out of her friend's mouth. "How about we go outside to the back wall of the building and take all of your paint stuff, the brushes, the rollers, everything. And we just _create_ . Like, no stress about making sure a customer likes it or planning something out or trying to make it look especially good. We just. _Create_." 

With the appearance of the oh-so-famous Tobin Heath smile, Kelley happily gets her answer.

~~~

Outside, with a large cloth placed on the ground, Tobin and Kelley carry every piece of art supplies that they can find from inside the shop (and Tobin had some random stencils in her car that she grabbed too).

They lay it all out around the cloth and stand back to look at the multitude of different creative instruments now at their disposal. Luckily, there's only their own two cars in the back lot so they decide not to try and cover anything else up. Eddy stays out of the way of their hasty, artistic-driven adventure, but when everything they could find is out of the shop, he stays attentively under the door frame to watch the two women attentively. 

“Well…” Kelley puffs out a short breath, slightly winded from carrying so much stuff outside (she greatly underestimated how much art supplies Tobin has hidden in every nook and cranny of the shop). Tobin looks up to her friend like a kid on Christmas morning. Kelley declares, “Pick your poison.” 

Tobin looks back down at the different art mediums laying haphazardly around her bare feet. She immediately goes for a can of orange spray paint, picking it up and vigorously shaking the little metal ball inside the canister. She makes her way closer to the wall of her bike store and brings the can of paint up with the plastic nozzle facing forward. 

But she hesitates again, freezing in place like she’d done in the shop with her airbrush. She hates how unnatural this all feels. There was once a time when she could work freely, letting her mind flow with her imagination and create beautiful works of art. But now, it’s like she has to relearn this previous innate artistry. 

Before she can get too frustrated, she hears Kelley remind her with encouragement, “ _Create_. It’s just you and a blank canvas.” 

And with a deep, relaxing breath, Tobin rid everything out of her head - any thoughts or hesitations or worries or plans - and she slowly presses the plastic tip of the can down, watching the bright, tangerine mist spray out onto the wall. 

From then on, the two are unstoppable. 

The outside of the store is already painted bright orange with abstract bike shapes, but the back wall is white and paint-less because customers never really see it and Tobin’s dad didn’t want to spend the extra money to cover it. And that’s exactly why it’s the perfect place for Tobin and Kelley to just. _Create_.

Streaks and patches of orange are formed against the textured surface of the building in an instant. Tobin lets her arm and the spray paint can randomly swing in all directions with no plan or design in mind.

“WOOOO!!” Kelley shouts in encouragement, pumping her arms at the sporadic spray painting from her friend. She grabs a can of blue paint for herself, shaking it up and following Tobin’s lead. 

There’s not a single piece of art supplies that the two women don’t use. They start with the spray paint, creating different backgrounds of color against the building wall. When there’s no more reachable space, they move to rollers and brushes and detailing and images. And just as Kelley had proposed, there’s no planning involved in these pure expressions of creativity. 

Tobin visualizes an alien riding a bike? She paints it. 

Kelley can’t stop thinking about the burritos they had for lunch? Five different cartoon burritos make their way onto the wall. 

The combination of purple and green spring into Tobin’s mind? Paint splatters of those two colors are thrown onto the building. 

Kelley wants to further commemorate her iconic “Jack’s Coma” victory? A janky version of the zombie eating pancakes from her shirt is then replicated (to the best of Kelley’s ability).

  
And of course, from the euphoria she feels with this renewed artistic freedom, Tobin’s mind goes to Christen - the most beautiful piece of art Tobin’s ever laid her eyes on (in her unbiased opinion). The mere thought of her girlfriend is all the inspiration she needs to dedicate the largest portion of unused wall space to a mural, almost a visual timeline, of all things Christen-related. 

Kelley can’t peel her eyes away as she watches the mechanic meticulously detailing a teal bike cruiser with a bent wheel to symbolize the origin of their first meeting. 

Tobin works on a copy of the red 100 emoji for Christen’s first metric century race before drawing a few little cartoon tacos from their first date. 

After some debate, Tobin decides to paint a caricature of herself with an obviously unrealistic robot-looking leg to signify all the struggles behind the woman’s bike accident. She initially didn’t want to put that onto the wall, but Tobin realized that even though the event brought a lot of hurt into their lives, it’s one of the most powerful periods of growth for herself and her friends, especially in her relationship with Christen. 

To celebrate the yoga studio and that spiritual influence in her girlfriend’s life, the mechanic illustrates some Buddhist om symbols and then two silhouetted figures in the tree pose as a loose copy of the two of them doing their morning yoga. 

And finally, Tobin draws a simple heart next to a very fancy, cursive letter “C”. 

  
When the two finish all they can, only stopping because they ran out of available space to continue, they wipe their hands on their already paint-covered clothing and take a few steps back to really soak up the artwork in its entirety. 

The wall is covered in random cartoons and line work and colors and visuals. It's a collection of meaningful quotes and insignificant sketches and unplanned illustrations and the imperfections of it all makes it the most perfect specimen of their lives. 

At the very bottom of all the artistic chaos, the two women finished it off in black paint that reads: 

_Brought to you by Helping Heath’s Bicycle Shop_

_(as a big ‘fuck you’ to brain surgery and drunk drivers)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by Kendrick Lamar… idk just been vibin w his stuff recently


	18. money or bills or expenses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashlyn is speechless, Kelley races, Tobin listens, Eddy is the best (per usual)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if u need someone to come up w ridiculous names for bike stores or bike races, u know who to call ;)

When Ashlyn drives to the store the next morning, she completely misses the needed turn to get into the back lot. She blames this mishap on the mix of her low-energy morning daze and the out-of-the-blue mural that’s suddenly appeared on the side of the store. When she’s brought out of her confusion and makes a u-turn back into the parking lot, she hurriedly parks and scrambles out of her car. Much to her surprise, the colorful, large scale piece before her isn’t a product of her eyes playing any tricks on her.

Though somehow, she feels tricked. 

Seeing up close the once plain wall covered in chaotic cartoons and splashes of color brings her right back into the bewildered state that made her miss her turn in the first place. 

“Why is Ashlyn randomly standing in the middle of the- oh shit we didn’t tell her…” Tobin realizes as she voices her thoughts aloud to Eddy in the back. 

  
Tobin rolls in and parks next to Ashlyn’s car. She meant to talk with Kelley about informing their other friend of the spontaneous masterpiece of art, but in the moment of such invigorating creativity she’d forgotten. 

As she slowly exits her car, she tries to form some makeshift explanation to present to the blond woman. The distinct slam of her shutting her car door doesn’t hinder Ashlyn’s perplexed, frozen trance. “Mornin’ Ash.” the mechanic begins cautiously, hoping for some sort of reaction to gauge what’s happening in her friend’s mind. 

Apparently, Ashlyn can still hear and speak in her astonished state as she slowly mutters, “Tobin…”

“It wasn’t planned.” Tobin blurts out, any articulate explanation having completely left her mind in the moment. She opens the back door of her car and Eddy bounds onto the pavement below. 

“Okaaayyyy… ” Ashlyn responds in a low tone, finally turning from her fixed position to look at her sheepish friend. “Is this like aaaa… symptom of your brain surgery? Like a sign that your brain is short circuiting or something?”

“No, no, no… I’m totally fine, um. Mentally.” the mechanic assures her. “Actually it was Kelley’s idea to begin with. She was trying to help me break through this creative wall I was hitting and jumpstart my art again.”

With a slow nod and some apparent mental processing, Ashlyn seems to eventually come to terms with this new additional splash of art on the shop. The two meander towards the shop and closer to the building’s now-vibrantly painted wall. 

Just as they reach the back door, Ashlyn pauses to stare at the mural and study it for the last time before entering the shop. 

“Are you mad?” Tobin apprehensively asks, already wincing like she’s expecting the worst. 

Ashlyn simply responds, “No. I’m not mad per se."  
  
The questioning look from her friend leads Ashlyn to further explain. “The art is dope. I like the little cartoon version of me yelling at the little cartoon version Kelley. I’m guessing she did that one.” she laughs as she pulls out her ring of keys to unlock the shop door. As the tattooed woman opens the door, the two walk into the shop and put their things down. 

Tobin keeps her eye on her friend and waits for the continued explanation. With the lights on, the “open” sign flipped forward in the front window, and the work computer booting up, Tobin stands in the shop, still waiting impatiently for Ashlyn’s unfinished explanation. Eddy seems to pick up on this uneasiness as he stays considerably closer to her as opposed to going straight to his dog bed.

“I'm not mad at the design itself. You know I love your art. And I’m glad you’re back to painting… I just…” Ashlyn’s sentence trails off a bit as she tries to think of a way to describe how she’s feeling. “... I just wish you guys would’ve given me a _little_ heads up before you plastered that on the wall.”

With a relieved breath, Tobin gets some tools prepped and ready on the counter. “Okay, that’s fair. It was really just a spur-of-the moment sort of thing. But yea, we should’ve let you know beforehand. I’m sorry.” she apologizes. 

“Ah, it’s alright, Tobs.” Ashlyn easily accepts the mechanic’s words, not really needing an apology but simply satisfied with the two expressing their thoughts to one another. “I do really love your art.”

“Thanks Ash.” Tobin grins, bubbling with excitement that her artistic abilities are finally back into her life. 

“And the customers love your art and we got a _lot_ of orders you gotta bang out!” the blond enthusiastically exclaims and Tobin doesn’t think she’s ever been more excited for a backed-up load of paint requests - which is saying something.

The mechanic just smiles wider and gives a little military salute. “You got it boss!” 

~~~

Tobin combs through all of the paint requests forms they’ve received in the months that she wasn’t working and she carefully sorts which would be the easiest to complete versus the more challenging ones. 

Luckily, most of them are fairly simple two are three solid color designs - pieces she could bang out in a couple days. But there are some that require a lot more skill than Tobin feels she’d be able to do right now. One specific desire almost makes her think she read the form wrong, as a customer has asked for an Arizona Green Tea inspired piece - complete with a shiny teal finish and the complex lotus tree branches wrapping around the frame. She pushes that from to the bottom of the pile. 

Tobin starts on the easier projects first, pulling out a few frames and beginning to roughen the metal with a belt sander. She’s done this entire painting process so many times that she easily gets into the groove of things with the relaxing music playing through her earbuds and the always attentive and comforting honey eyes of Eddy watching from the corner of the shop. 

Within the week, almost all of the more basic projects are finished and things couldn’t be going smoother. 

  
Everyone in the shop notices how quickly things seem to shift back to normal as well with the refreshed carefree mood of the mechanic reclaiming her artistic ways and quickly gets sucked back into her own little bike world once again. The progress she’s made since the beginning of her recovery, both physically and emotionally, has been huge and her friends watch with smiles on their faces at how life seems to finally be a bit easier for the mechanic. 

But when met with the harder paint jobs, Tobin’s joyful attitude falters. 

It was one thing when she was drawing tacos and aliens on the wall outside without a care in the world, but she’s finding it significantly more difficult to paint these little happy faces onto the frame she’s working right now. She took on this slightly more challenging design next - a frame covered in simple, yellow cartoon smileys - thinking that it’d be a smooth way to transition to more ambitious projects. But even this request is proving to be more than Tobin is apparently able to accomplish. 

And it frustrates the hell out of her.

 _They’re just fucking happy faces, why can’t I do this?_ the mechanic chastises in her head as her trembling hand slowly draws closer to the metal frame before her. She tells herself that the issue is from working with a smaller paint brush. Or the oddly curved shape of the bike frame. Or how nervous she was before starting this project. Or how her recurring nightmare has led to consecutive sleepless nights. But even as she reminds herself of these aspects, it doesn’t change the fact that she can’t seem to be able to complete this damn project. 

Her hand, which she thought would be completely fine by now, is starting to shake while detailing these graphics and while it should concern her for personal health reasons, all it’s doing so far is just annoying her. 

When the shaky brush finally makes contact with the frame, it winds up creating more of a wobbly arc than the desired smooth curve of a circle. Angrily, she throws the paint brush onto the cement floor of the shop with a rough puff of air as she hunches over and shuts her tired, frustrated eyes. At the noise, Eddy perks his head up and rises on all fours, walking a couple feet towards Tobin and devotedly sitting in front of the seething woman. With some whining noises for attention, Tobin slowly brings her head back up to see Eddy gazing at her with his big, adorable eyes. She can’t help but smile at her cute pooch - his mere presence already easing the mechanic’s irritation - and she brings a hand up to gentle scratch behind Eddy’s soft, upright ears. _Thank god for Eddy…_

“What’s goin on Tobs?” Kelley asks, making her way into the shop - noting the wet paintbrush on the floor and the dutiful proximity of the smiling service dog. 

Tobin sighs while she continues to pet Eddy’s furry face, explaining, “This design is just giving me some trouble.”

Kelley nods in understanding and she knows that this delicate situation could easily become a lot more damaging to her friend’s confidence and emotional stability. “Wanna take a break?” she simply suggests. “Maybe a walk with Ed or some other fix to take your mind off of things?”

“Yeah, Ed probably wants a stroll - _don’t you Eddy? Yeah puppers, you like walks don’tcha bud?_ ” Tobin says, her dog voice riling up Eddy’s excitement as she shakes up his fur. 

“Well if you wanna head out now, you should be back in time for lunch.” Kelley smiles but Tobin recognizes the _almost_ subtle way she’s reminding the woman of the five-minute system. Kelley further mentions, “Don’t forget your cell.” as she tosses Tobin’s phone into the mechanic’s quick hands. 

Grabbing Eddy’s leash, she pockets her phone and heads out of the shop door. Coincidentally, a leisurely walk around the block takes almost exactly five minutes and even though Tobin’s done the route far too many times for it to be interesting anymore, she makes her way through the familiar streets of her city.

When she gets back five minutes later on the dot, everyone’s already seated around the shop with lunch on the counter tops. 

“Tobs! We saved your Subway sandwich ‘cause spaz over here thought it was an extra and started eating it.” Ashlyn remarks, tossing a paper-wrapped sub (the paper having clearly been opened already and very poorly resealed) into Tobin’s surprised hands. _What is it with people throwing stuff at me today…_

Kelley gives an almost offended look in hearing this. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, we don’t need to be naming names here!” She scoffs as Tobin laughs and pulls a stool closer to the group, leaning in to give a short hello kiss to Christen’s smiling face. “Tobs, if it makes you feel any better, the extra mayo is definitely not my thing.” Kelley tries to amend.

Tobin dismisses her with assurance that it’s fine and everyone goes back to enthusiastically talking about the upcoming race fundraiser. They have a date set for the event and the excitement about it only grows with every approaching day. Of course, they have to address the deal with Tobin’s public involvement in the promotional aspects and despite the mechanic not wanting to get into that, she knows that there needs to be a final decision made before it's too late altogether. 

She brought it up to Christen briefly after arguing about it with Kelley that one time, but besides her own short-worded opinion on the matter, Christen didn’t get too much additional information about it at all. 

“Here’s how we’re going to do this because I know that this has the potential to get very hectic very quickly.” Christen asserts and everyone nods in agreement. “We’re gonna start with Tobin’s thoughts on the matter and then go to Kelley’s. When either of you guys are talking, the other _needs_ to stay silent. If one of you starts interrupting the other… things are just gonna get out of hand.” 

Tobin doesn’t like having to speak first since she hasn’t had the time she needs to formulate her opinion very well, but after calling Eddy over for some puppy support and deciding to just trust whatever comes out of her mouth, she bites the bullet and begins. 

“Okay. My issue with the whole ‘putting my name on the event’ thing is that it makes me feel… like a victim. And… like I’m taking advantage of these people, I guess?” Tobin starts, definitely finding it hard to find the right words, but she powers on anyway. “And it makes me feel kinda sad. And a little mad too. Like… I need to rely on these strangers feeling sorry for me about this bad thing that happened and then feel bad… enough to pay and enter a bike race. Like, on my behalf. Like they need to do me this favor. And… and I don’t like the feeling of having to owe anyone anything ” 

Christen catches Kelley’s mouth beginning to open and interrupt, but the yoga instructor quickly throws a crumbled up sandwich wrapper at the woman’s face before she can get a word out and break the one rule set in place during this discussion. 

Seeing this, Tobin chuckles and continues on a bit easier. “So I don’t wanna depend on people like that. I know I said I was gonna work on letting people help me, but this seems like a bit too much. And I know that it’d help get more people to race if there’s a name with it, but… the way I’m thinking about it… even if I advertise myself as like, the 'face' of this event… there’s probably not gonna be enough sign ups to pay for my expenses anyway. Like… the money raised is just gonna help take the pressure off a bit and make it so that whatever loan I eventually get is a bit more manageable.” And with that, Tobin begrudgingly finishes her explanation because although she feels like there’s more she wants to say, she can see Kelley literally sitting on the edge of her seat waiting for her turn to speak. 

But the freckled woman waits politely for Christen’s mediating before she starts her full-fledged speech that she has in her head.

  
“That was great sweetie.” Christen remarks, leaning in to quickly kiss the mechanic on the cheek to show how proud she is. Sitting back, she looks at Kelley's energy-filled, little body and with an affirmative head nod, signals that the other woman now has the floor. 

And Kelley gets right into it, starting with a quick clarification. “We wouldn’t put your face on billboards or get you on talk shows or anything like that, Tobs. But I think even just putting your name in the event title or something like that could help spread word of the event. Like, a picture of your charming face in our ads would definitely help the event stick in peoples’ minds but just calling the race like ‘Tobin Heath Century Race’ can still reap a lot of benefits. ” 

_Ugh, flattery_ Tobin thinks to herself, trying to repress the smirk that’s threatening to creep onto her face _Such a Kelley thing to do..._

Kelley notices how her humor got to her friend and that helps motivate her to get through the real touchy part of this issue. “The big things I got from your argument are that one, you feel like you’re somehow exploiting these racers for their money. Two, you still feel guilty for even having this race in the first place. And three, I think you’re afraid of what the outcome of the whole fundraiser will be.” Kelley feels pretty confident that these are the main points that she needs to resolve in order for her idea to pass with a Tobin Heath stamp of approval.

In hearing this, Tobin shrugs and nods in agreement. There’s a few other feelings she’s… feeling. But, again, she just couldn’t find the words to express them in her allotted time. 

“Well for one, if this race is in any way exploitative, then every single other race - whether for running or swimming - would be just as corrupt. I mean, fucking kids’ fairs would be unethical cause you gotta pay an entrance fee or buy a bunch of tickets or something.” Kelley explains fervently, complete with wild hand motions and wild eyes. “Like, the world revolves around money. It’s unfair and wrong, but that’s just how it be, dude. If anything, the fee for this race is actually admirable because it’s going to a good cause - to helping your awesome self!”

 _There’s the flattery again_ Tobin muses, but something in Kelley’s words actually makes some sense and she starts rethinking some things. She tries not to show it. 

“Okay, the second thing is that I think you still feel guilty for having this whole race and I know you’re working on accepting help but this event isn’t ‘too much’. It’s not like all of the racers are gonna be signing up _because_ it’ll help you.” Kelley’s pauses as the words she just said didn’t come out in the way she wanted them to. “What I mean is… every race has some sort of fee, no matter if it’s a fundraiser or not. So if a cyclist wants to race, they can pay and race. If they want to help and support your cause, they can pay and help the cause. And if they wanna race AND help you at the same time - like I will be doing - then they’ll pay anyway!”

Kelley takes a deep breath, finally nearing the end of her argument, and she goes balls to the walls to close this out. “And the last thing, is that I think deep down, you’re conflicted about the result of this fundraiser. I mean, not to get all Freudian on you, but that’s what I think you're thinking inside. Cause on one hand, if not a lot of people sign up I think you’ll be a bit disappointed at how it didn’t work out to the extent that you want it to - the extent that all of us want. And like you said, you’ll have to ask for a larger loan which is a pain in the ass. But on the other hand, if a shit ton of people sign up and race like I _know_ they will, you’re gonna still feel like they’re all doing it out of pity or something - like you’ll be taking advantage of _more_ people. Which, as I said before, isn’t the case.”

Tobin, along with everyone else listening to this speech, stays silently shell-shocked at this entire, long-winded argument. And Tobin was definitely not ready to have so much insight on _herself_ be thrown at her like that. 

With a glimmer in her eye, Kelley grins and straightens her posture like she knows exactly how compelling and thought-out her case is. “To conclude,” she closes out in a very scholarly tone. “I believe that including your name and-or image in association with this event would greatly increase the quantity of registered racers, and thus, total money raised.” 

Everyone knows Kelley’s trying to finish this up with the biggest words she can think of and it somehow makes her argument that much better. Nonetheless, they all seem to agree that she makes some great points. But in the end, it really comes down to only one person’s decision.

Tobin sits there, pensively staring at Kelley and processing everything that’s been said. Everyone shifts their attention to the silent mechanic, anxiously waiting for the final verdict.

Finally Tobin calmly declares, “That was a lot of words.” And if Kelley was drinking anything at that moment, everyone would’ve been covered in spit and probably Mountain Dew after hearing that statement. She stays composed though, biting her lip to prevent any giggling so that Tobin will eventually say more.

But Tobin remains silent. And after a pause, a soft smile appears on her face and she simply nods approvingly. 

  
And a wide smile copies onto Kelley’s face in return.

~~~

“ _Tour de Tobin: a century in support of Tobin (Helping) Heath_ ” is what the large scale banner reads at the check-in table of the race, as well as on all of the flyers and other pieces of publicity made for the event. 

Tobin almost regrets allowing Kelley to have complete control over the advertising for this race, but after sneaking a peak at the unbelievable amount of people who actually signed up for the race… well… she really can’t be too mad. 

“I didn’t think it could get any better than ‘Helping Heath’ but ‘Tour de Tobin’? That’s going in the history books for sure.” Christen jokes as she comes up and wraps her arms around the waist of the mechanic, resting her head on Tobin’s shoulder as they both gaze at the giant banner hung front and center. 

Tobin chuckles, she can barely believe that the sign actually says those words, but here they are. “And I thought I had enough to get teased about, but I think Kelley lives to prove me wrong.” And they both laugh wholeheartedly. Keeping her arms circled around her girlfriend, Christen maneuvers her body to face Tobin’s excited smile and they can’t seem to get over how absolutely ecstatic they are that the race is actually happening (in technically fifteen hours). All of the furious planning and organizing done has finally created the event and every aspect is coming together perfectly. 

Leaning down, Tobin soundly kisses her girlfriend’s lips, whispering a sweet, “I love you” before wrapping her arms around the woman’s shoulders. They stay holding each other in this quiet moment before the race and before they have to finalize details and before they meet with their wild friends for a pre-race celebratory dinner. 

But once the moment has come and gone, they lean back from one another with uncontrollable grins. They grab each other’s hands, call Eddy up from where he was lying down next to them, and head off to some crazy looking bar for an undoubtedly rambunctious dinner. 

~~~

The event went as smoothly as anyone could’ve hoped for, which was predicted since the majority of its operations were spearheaded by the one and only Christen Press. 

The weather was perfect - sunny, but with a slight, refreshing breeze - and the route had fantastic conditions with its prolonged view of Lake Michigan shining against the glowing sun. Christen made sure that instead of having a buffet for food accessibility, there’d be different vendors set up instead (the decision was made from the woman’s hangry experience at her first and only metric century race). The registration system was effective and efficient in checking cyclists in and assigning race bibs. Almost every racer who had signed up actually came, with only a handful of no-shows (but these spots were made up by some unplanned walk-in cyclists). The additional staff they hired worked diligently and the only problems that arose were some food spills and the speakers they had were a little confusing to set up. 

All in all, it was easily one of the most well run bike events that any of them had ever been a part of.

Kelley, true to her word, had actually signed up as a racer for the event and (to literally no one’s surprise), Emily’s name appeared on the racers’ list as well. The rest of the group worked the event as staff, hurrying around the course to refill water jugs and restock Gu gels. Eddy especially seemed to love all the commotion of so many people around him and he made for a great impromptu mascot for the race. 

And when all was said and done, after the last racer crossed the finish line and they cleaned up all the empty (recyclable) cups around the place and the tents and signs and banners were all packed up - it was only fitting that the group found themselves in one specific diner so late into the night. 

“I can’t believe Diane actually let us come in and eat. When I saw her about to flip that open-closed sign I was just about ready to get on my hands and knees and beg for her to let us in.” Kelley remarks after inhaling half of her cheeseburger.

“Well you heard what she said: ‘How could I say no to a Jack’s Coma survivor?’” Ashlyn laughs, really not expecting that accomplishment to come with so many additional benefits. “What’s it like to be a living legend Kel?” 

While everyone laughs, the freckled woman simply wears a proud look on her face. “You know what Ash, it feels great.” she retorts smugly. 

“We’re just joshin you spaz. If anyone deserves to wear that title, it’s you.” Tobin smiles, slurping up her warm hot chocolate.

“You’re just saying that ‘cause Diane put extra marshmallows in your coco.” Kelley teases back. And Tobin shrugs silently with a grin, not willing to self-incriminate herself when she has a very sweet, foamy mug of coco in her hands. 

The group stays eating and chatting for probably a much longer time than Diane really wanted to keep the diner open for, but she keeps a kind smile on her face anyway. 

There’s a lot of laughing and teasing and words of gratitude for everything they have and everything they were able to accomplish. 

Ashlyn tells Christen and Emily the story of how she met Ali and, while her two best friends have heard the tale many times, they gladly listen to it again. 

Kelley recalls how the race went and expresses how thankful she is for Emily to be her race buddy, especially during the long, dragging parts of the route. Emily had ridden a century more recently and Kelley hadn’t raced that distance for a while, but she says that the two exchanged some stories and talked for almost the entire race, which helped pass the time. (And from the not-so-subtle glances the two women share from across the diner table, it seems like the two must’ve talked about some _interesting_ things.)

Christen shares some funny stories from some of her yoga classes so far, talking very passionately about a man who must have eaten clam chowder or something before coming to a morning class and how they had to ask him to leave when the air quality in the studio room became possibly harmful for everyone else. 

And not once in their hours of talking and sharing stories and staying awake from the pure adrenaline of being with each other… 

Despite the otherwise exhausting day they all had with either operating an entire bike race or cycling for almost seven hours…

Not once, did the topic of money or bills or expenses ever come up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by google’s autocomplete. while its a lil creepy how they seem to track everything u search it does make writing a lot faster when i search a random word and it autocompletes to add “synonym” to it (yes, ive started to keep a thesaurus tab open when i write, there’s only so many words i can think up that all mean the same thing)


	19. Van Gogh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin’s high energy, Christen is bad at painting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is for everyone saying they miss the fluff… i really cant blame u tho, i miss the fluffy fluff too (also, bit shorter mid-week update btw)

While the topic of money didn’t come up at all that night after the race, Tobin was still anxious to know the total outcome of the race the next morning. 

She woke up bright and early and full of energy. And for once, Christen was the one wanting to get more sleep (after working such a draining event the day before) and Tobin was the one trying to get her girlfriend up and moving. 

“Chris. Christen. Babe. Baby. Baaaabbbyyyyyyyy.” The mechanic kneels next to Christen’s motionless body, poking the woman’s tan cheek after each incessant word. “I want yoga. Can we do yoga? I have coffee.” she remarks like a little kid who doesn’t know any words longer than two syllables. 

The only response she gets is a forced grunt, then the yoga instructor turns and buries herself deeper within their pile of covers and sheets. 

“Wow, I offer some fresh, homemade coffee and that’s all I get?” Tobin teases, trying anything to bait her girlfriend into giving more of a coherent response. 

It works though, as Christen finally leans onto her back to look at her girlfriend’s energetic hazel eyes. “If you think caffeine will get me out of this bed, you’re gonna need to reevaluate how tired I am. Might need a defibrillator or something.” she mumbles, yawing immediately after her sentence. 

Tobin laughs at her girlfriend’s sleepy mood, knowing if she pushes just a bit more, she could get the woman up. “Chris, I’m here actually  _ asking _ for yoga. Isn’t it your civil duty as a yoga instructor to provide yoga services when someone asks?” she prompts with a playful grin. 

“How are you so high energy right now?” Christen asks, being far too tired to continue their playful banter right now. 

“I don’t know I just am! Can you please come entertain my high energy self now?” Tobin pleads with big eyes, a jutted out bottom lip, and begging hands. 

Christen sighs, not quite ready to give in and prepared to question the mechanic’s entire morning for the chance to lay in bed just a  _ little _ longer. “You made coffee?”

“Yes.”

“Let Ed out?”

  
  
“Yup!”

“What if you go on a run or something.”

“Already did.”

“Take your pills?”

“Ed reminded me and they’re chillin in my belly right now.”

“Checked your emails?”

  
  
“Yes, love.”

And Christen just groans, knowing she’s lost. 

“Aaaand I emptied the trash, cleaned up the apartment, did my recovery movements, and got our yoga mats out and ready in the living room.” Tobin continues listing everything she’s done this morning, smirking because she knows she’s won. 

In defeat, Christen groggily sits up a bit. “How did you get all that done?” she genuinely questions, tapping her phone screen to see that it’s only 7:23.

“I woke up early.” Tobin quickly responds. “Now come on, sweet stuff! I wanna see your ‘sweet stuff in some hot yoga pants!” 

Christen can’t help but throw her head back in laughter as she slowly maneuvers herself off the bed. She takes the time to roll her eyes at her girlfriend’s words and goes to the closest to pick out some previously mentioned yoga pants. “Now I see why you  _ really _ want to do yoga with me…” she teases. Wearing nothing on her bottom-half except her pink underwear, Christen walks unsuspectingly closer to where Tobin is perched on the end of the bed and as she holds up and inspects a clean pair of leggings, Tobin grabs onto the woman’s waist and yanks her back onto the bed, attacking her giggling girlfriend’s face with little kisses on every area of skin available. 

“Tobin!” Christen protests between ticklish giggling while giving a very minimal amount of effort to actually push Tobin off of her. Tobin eventually stops but she keeps her body pinned on the woman beneath her and simply gazes adoringly at those bright, emerald eyes. She lets her eyes shamelessly follow down Christen’s body, biting her bottom lip as she gets to the expense of tan skin on the woman’s bare legs. Christen simply laughs, interrupting the mechanic’s moment of appreciation by commenting, “If you still wanna do yoga, you’re gonna have to get off of me so I can go change.”

In any other situation, Tobin would have completely disregarded the yoga in favor of doing more bed-involved exercises with her practically half-naked girlfriend…

But she wants to start the day with something that will calm her nerves, not spike her heart rate. After all, she has a specific subject in mind that she’s been meaning to address with Christen and she knows that conversation will never happen if this lustful moment progresses any further. 

So Tobin wills her arousal away (at least until later tonight) and slightly moves her body off of Christen’s. “I’ll be out in the living room.” she announces, giving the yoga instructor an innocent kiss on the nose and a playful wink before exiting the bedroom. 

Christen notices the self-control by her usually impulsive girlfriend and starts to really think about everything that’s already happened this morning - Tobin waking up early, Tobin doing all of these chores and tasks so responsibly, Tobin actually insisting on morning yoga… 

All of it makes Christen want to worry about what it all means, but she decides to just give Tobin the benefit of the doubt and roll with it (something she’s very much not accustomed to doing). 

~~~

Obviously the yoga session is as relaxing and fun as it always is. Christen modified their usual set of movements to accommodate the limited range of motion of Tobin’s leg. But it hasn’t deterred the mechanic from making fun of their poses and cracking jokes at how ridiculous they look at times. Eddy will sometimes come over and try his hardest to distract them with slobbery kisses, but he usually just waits lazily in his dog bed watching the two. 

When she sees Christen cross her legs in preparation for the closing minutes of meditation, Tobin quickly debates with herself as to what she should do. Normally, she’d make her exit and start some coffee for the two of them, but her efficient self already brewed a pot earlier this morning. But she doesn’t especially think she has the needed patients for meditation this time. So she settles for a sort of middle ground, getting up with a departing kiss to Christen’s forehead to go and pour them a couple mugs, and coming back to wait for her girlfriend to awaken from her meditative state. 

  
Eventually, Christen’s green eyes flicker open and a warm smile with a steaming mug of joe awaits her. 

She takes the offering with a sweet kiss and Tobin watches with an affectionate smile as her girlfriend brings the mug up and takes a timid sip. With a satisfied “Ah” from how perfectly brewed the coffee is, Christen reaches for a coaster from the nearest surface and places her cup down to face the woman across from her. “So do you want to tell me why you’re so high energy this morning?” she asks, repeating the question that the mechanic had answered poorly before. 

Tobin starts to open her mouth to repeat the same answer she gave before but in anticipating that, Christen abruptly adds, “And don’t say that you don’t know why.”

Knowing she’s been caught, Tobin sighs and the minuscule change in the mechanic’s demeanor prompts Eddy to come and simply lay next to the woman with his comforting head in her lap. She laughs at how completely in tune her dog is and she smiles while giving thankful scratches behind his fluffy ears. As she looks back to her girlfriend’s patient expression, she steadily admits, “I wanna know how everything with the race turned out.”

Christen nods, knowing that she’s not referring to the operations - because they were obviously there in person to see how smoothly the entire event ran. She knows that Tobin’s referring to how much they were able to raise. Not because she’s money-hungry and only cares about how much the event made, but simply due to the curiosity of it all. 

So Christen just smiles softly now that she knows what’s got the mechanic so anxious and thus high energy. But she knows they’ll have to wait till tomorrow since the plan was for everyone, not just them and Kelley, to come in on Sunday and figure out the money situation with how much the event raised and the overall expenses they still need to pay for running the race. 

Tobin knows that with all of the racers paying for their entry fees, that the event made a pretty hefty sum of money. But what Tobin doesn’t know is that Kelley has already discreetly revealed to Christen a ballpark amount of how much they were able to raise with entries fees  _ and _ additional donations from racers. Even with the needed expenses they’ll have to portion out for costs, they’re still left with a mind-blowing amount of money for Tobin’s medical expenses. 

And Christen is  _ very _ excited to find out all of the exact results. But in the meantime, she’s going to be dealing with her high energy girlfriend for the rest of the day. 

“I know you’re excited, but we’ll find out everything tomorrow, baby.” Christen soothes, bringing a hand up to also pet Eddy’s head. 

“Yeah…” Tobin sighs, already knowing the group’s plan for their meeting tomorrow, but still feeling anxious about the details that the meeting will bring. “What do you want to do today? Do you have work?”

Christen nods a little disappointingly, “I do need to do some work stuff because I’m taking tomorrow off, but we can still do something fun later.”

They sit there, both thinking of anything to do for their free day. Then Tobin suggests, “Date night?”

And Christen grins, cause how could she ever say no to date night.

~~~

_ I should’ve said no to date night _ Christen thinks to herself as she sits behind her painting that could only be rivaled by that of a three year old.  _ Of course Tobin chose a wine and paint class for our date... _

Christen has never been great at art, also opting for more intellectual, left-brained activities. While she went through her schooling by going above and beyond - something that had gotten her to and through the rigorous demands of Stanford’s classes - this overachieving mentality ceased to exist in the realm of the arts. In her entire academic career, she took two art classes simply for their required credits. 

And it’s showing in the mess of a blob she’s made on her canvas. 

“That looks great, love.” Tobin compliments in seeing the frustrated look on her girlfriend’s face. In response, she gets an eye roll and an expression of disbelief from the yoga instructor, but she can only laugh at how adorable even a moody Christen is. She gives a comforting half hug from where they sit beside each other and continues, “I mean it. Any work of art, as long as you tried, is good art.”

Christen just scoffs. “Easy for you to say, you basically just painted a Van Gogh piece while being wine tipsy. And all I’m able to knock out is something that looks like it was painted by an elephant.” she exacerbates, really not liking activities where she doesn’t excel as much as she’d hoped.

Tobin laughs at her girlfriend’s dramatics and tries to further comfort her by placing a firm kiss on the woman’s temple. “I happen to think elephants make splendid pieces of art, dear.” 

“I don’t wanna paint like an elephant, Tobs! I wanna paint like Van Gogh!” Christen exclaims, the volume of her voice gaining the attention of some of the other painters around them. 

Tobin now recognizes that the mix of her Christen’s competitiveness, frustration, and alcohol may not be the best combination for a fun night out, but she can’t help but find this insanely cute anyway. 

With a wide smile, trying not to laugh and potentially anger the yoga instructor any further, she tries to continue soothing the woman in hopes that she’ll start having a more enjoyable time (and that they won’t get kicked out of this wine and paint night). “Honey, sweetie, baby… ” Tobin quickly starts going through the list of pet names and it brings a giggly grin to Christen’s face. “Babe. I love your piece. And all that matters is that  _ you _ did it.”   
  
Christen gives a moody frown, still not believing these words of encouragement that are being spoken to her. 

But Tobin powers on, deciding to try a different approach at cheering up her girlfriend. “Think about it like this. Van Gogh’s paintings were considered crappy during his time. Everybody thought he was crazy and had no artistic abilities because his style was so different and new and innovative, right?   


And Christen just nods while staying quiet because she’s heard that this was the case for poor Van Gogh. She remains silent in her grumpy mood but she stays attentive, wanting to hear the point Tobin is trying to make.

“So if you really think about it, it’s not that this fantastic work of art you’ve made is  _ bad _ , it’s just on such a higher level that it’s hard to like, comprehend it. Like, it’s so different and new that the world just isn’t ready for it.” Tobin finally finishes her explanation with a joyful smile, waiting for a response to see if her words of encouragement reached the quiet yoga instructor. 

“Sure babe.” Christen sarcastically responds. While she still doesn’t believe a word of this explanation, Christen can’t help but smile at Tobin’s humorous attempt at trying to comfort her moodiness. She cracks a smile and shows her gratefulness in a form of a tender kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for trying to comfort me.”

Tobin considers her efforts a success as she leans back to her painting and finishes so quick detailing. Christen on the other hand, doesn't know what to do next because anything she does to her painting now is just going to make it worse, if that’s even possible. But she’s content with sipping on her wine and simply watching the mechanic continue to perfect her painting. She’s glad to see that Tobin is able to paint with such detail and reasons that the shakiness of her hand is probably subdued by the wine. 

When Tobin finishes and the class ends, everyone funnels out and takes their drunken masterpieces home. Christen wanted to immediately throw her canvas in the dumpster by the nearby alleyway, but Tobin’s able to convince her not to, citing that she wants to keep it around (but not telling the woman about her plan to hang it up in the center of her living room wall). 

Not wanting to let the night end just yet, the two make their way over to one of Tobin’s favorite ice cream shops. With a mint chip in Christen’s hand and Tobin having a pile of sugary toppings on a hidden layer of cookies and cream, the two take their ice creams to a park bench nearby. 

“Next time, I’m choosing what we’re doing for date night.” Christen announces as they sit together in the chilly night air. 

“Whaaat?” Tobin gasps in mildly unsurprised shock, because although she knows that the activity for tonight wasn’t exactly Christen’s cup of tea, she still thought they had a good time. “You painted a masterpiece and this is how you react?” 

Christen responds to this further push of flattery with a laugh. “As much as I appreciate the encouragement, I’m okay. Really.” Based on her facial expression, she does appear pretty unbothered by it all as the yoga instructor goes back to spooning mint chip into her mouth. “I mean, we all have our flaws. I can’t paint. And you can’t text.” Christen comments with a smirk in a matter-of-fact tone. 

With a more genuine gasp of shock, Tobin dramatically remarks, “What do you mean I can’t text?”

  
  
“Don’t act like you don’t already know, sweetie.” Christen says until she looks into her girlfriend’s eyes and actually sees actual confusion. “Tobin. I always have to take a good three minute break to try and decipher whatever message you send me throughout the day. Like, I get into the same mindset of trying to understand what a toddler is saying to me when I read your text messages.”

Tobin just scoffs, not because she’s actually mad or annoyed at this accusation, but because she honestly doesn’t think her texting skills are as bad as described. “So just because I don’t text like I’m being judged by an English professor, then it's somehow toddler talk?” 

Christen can’t help but laugh at how seriously the mechanic seems to be taking all of this. “Baby, I’m just kidding… Well… not about how you’re bad at texting, but you’re not as bad as I was making it out to be.” she tries to amend with an ice cream laced peck to the cheek. Tobin stays brooding with a huff but she can’t help the little grin that grows on her face from the show of affection.

While still not completely satisfied with the conclusion of this discussion, a long yawn interrupts any further commentary Tobin wanted to say about it. 

In having to see the entire inside of the mechanic’s mouth for the fourth time within the last few minutes, Christen turns to look and inspect the slightly dazed woman next to her. “You a lil sleepy?” she questions, bringing a soft hand up to Tobin’s very relaxed facial features - as if doing so will reveal some kind of physical symptoms of tiredness. She knows that the combination of waking up early, exuding so much energy so soon into the day, and the overall lack of sleep over this past month have probably caught up to Tobin right now. 

Another wide-mouthed yawn racks Tobin’s entire body before she lazily replies, “A bit. We should probably get some good sleep before the early meeting tomorrow.”

Christen nods in agreement, giving a short kiss to the basically unresponsive mechanic before standing and offering her hand to hold as they make their way back home. 

~~~

The “good sleep” Tobin had planned for the two women never actually occurred. She thought she was tired. She thought that the wine in her system would possibly slow her mind and body down enough to get a few hours of shut-eye for the night. 

  
But perhaps it was the sugary treat so late, or maybe the relaxing, but also stimulating art activity they had that caused such a sleepless night. 

Without a doubt though, it was the nightmare that was the main contributor to the less than three hours of sleep Tobin got - the nightmare that came so soon after falling asleep that she couldn’t seem to close her eyes for the rest of the night without bits and pieces of the horrific event flashing beneath her eyelids.

  
Unfortunately, Christen has gotten used to this stirring from the distressed body beside her and her ability to sleep like a rock has improved - almost like an evolutionary adaptation. The rustling of Tobin’s terror filled body nor the slight damping of the sheet from the woman’s panic-caused sweat wake the yoga instructor now. And although she’s insistently told Tobin to wake her up whenever these nightmares fill her mind, Tobin never does it - she doesn’t want  _ another _ person having to experience these consequences of her own broken mind. Letting people in, letting people help her, letting herself be loved are all still works in progress for her. 

  
Luckily for Christen, the noticeably heavy dip in the mattress from the large German shepherd now standing over the mechanic to try and comfort her with meaningful kisses, wakes the woman enough to recognize all of the clear remnants of what must have been another nightmare. 

“Tobin?...” Christen calls out into the darkness of their bedroom with a raspy, sleep-filled voice. She flicks on the lamp beside the bed to see Tobin, squinting at the light and laying on dampened sheets. 

“I’m sorry I woke you up, I’m gonna take Eddy for a walk.” Tobin quickly mutters out as Eddy leaps back down onto the floor. She’s halfway out of bed in seconds but Christen’s able to catch hold of her wrist before she’s completely off. 

“Tobin.” Christen states firmly, still feeling the groggy effects of being awake at such an hour, but willing her mind and body to wake up. “We need to talk about this.”

Tobin sighs and slowly leans down to leave a gentle kiss on her girlfriend’s forehead before saying, “We will.” She’s able to pull her wrist away from Christen’s grasp and makes her way off the bed. “Later.” Tobin declares before putting on her slides, clipping Eddy’s leash to his collar, and escaping through the door.

Christen sits up in her bed with a disappointed expression as she patiently waits in the darkness of their bedroom for Tobin’s return. And she can’t help but wonder how many times she’s going to hear that same one word excuse before Tobin will actually start talking about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is motivated by frozen fruit. i eat a concerning amount of frozen fruit on a daily basis, but… no one can stop me!!


	20. a present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin gets a present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i went through some of the comments, sorry i didn’t reply to any of them tbh i really only skimmed them because im too much of a pussy to face the music of disappointing u guys. but i waited to see whether my need for closure would outweigh my lack of confidence in writing this fic. And it did. And i also feel like itd be unfair to post additional oneshots if this story didnt have something that resembled an ending.
> 
> So here it is. when i decided to oh so abruptly end this fic at 19, i already had 20-22 written so this last chapter is kinda a condensed version of those, which is why its a little choppy and unorganized stuff. 
> 
> <3 <3 <3

“No way. No fucking way.” Kelley mutters as four heads peeking over her shoulder to try and make sense of whatever crazy organization of numbers and windows are displayed on the screen. 

The group is all at  _ the _ meeting - the meeting where they find out just how well the race did in terms of raising money for the ache that is Tobin’s hospital bills. Kelley turns out to be some sort of math wizard and while everyone at the store seemed to know this (because she’s been handling all of the financials since the beginning), Christen was pleasantly surprised when the freckled woman had personally volunteered to monitor the monetary logistics of the race. No one else knew what the various numbers appearing on the screen meant. The multitude of digits brings both excitement as well as anxiousness from the group. 

“What Kel?” Ashlyn asks quickly, seeing numbers changing across the screen with the rapid mouse-clicking that's occurring. “Is that a good ‘no way’ or a bad ‘no way’?”

Kelley doesn’t respond, only frantically typing on the computer, flipping through different tabs and pages and windows on the work computer so quickly that the others don’t know how the woman processes the information fast enough. Suddenly, before anyone else knows it, the screen turns black and Kelley slowly turns in her stool to finally face her crowding friends with her hands clasped and a pensive look on her face. 

“What the? Kel, the screen shut off.” Emily remarks in a rush. 

Tobin wanted to bring attention to Emily’s casual use of this familiar nickname, but she’s too confused and hyped up herself to really mention it. “Did you break the computer or something?” the mechanic questions. 

Kelley simply brings her hand to her stoic, expressionless face. She quietly mutters, “Computer’s not broken, I just turned it off…:”

The rest of the group is so utterly confused and they’re way too excited to deal with Kelley’s complicated mind games and concealed knowledge. They just want to know the results of the bike race. 

Even the always-zen yoga instructor who already got a hint of how successful the race was, is on the brink of exploding with anxiousness. “Kelley! Come one!” Christen almost shouts, surprising the others in the group who weren’t expecting such an exclamation. 

“Okay, okay. Here’s what I got.” Kelley relents, her hands up in a show of surrender. “First of all, racer 0004, a ‘Becky Sauerbrunn’ placed first overall, which we all know of course because we saw her be the first to cross the line. I mean, I think we all suspected it in the beginning cause, c’mon, a cyclist who’s the  _ fourth  _ person to register for the race is probably pretty intense and-”

“KELLEY!” Ashlyn interrupts because literally no one in the group wants to hear Kelley spew all this additional information. They know that she knows what everyone wants to know. 

Kelley grins because she obviously knows what everyone’s waiting to hear. “Sorry, okay!” she exclaims. “So this Becky Sauerbrunn lady is pretty important because she won the race AND donated a shit ton of extra money afterwards. Like I don’t know if she just did it off of the high from winning or if she just somehow knew that Tobin is a dope-ass chick that doesn’t deserve ridiculous hospital bills, but…” Kelley trails off, simply giving an unknowing shrug as she looks back at the four astonished faces in front of her. 

“ ‘A shit ton’?” Ashlyn repeats mainly as a question. “Like how much would that entail?” 

The grin on Kelley’s face gets wider and while she continues talking to the rest of the group, her eyes softly connect with Tobin’s as she finishes, “Let’s just say, there won’t be any issue with loans or anything.”

Everyone begins to cheer and jump and shout and holler because although the exact amount the event raised wasn’t said explicitly, the simple knowledge that the Tobin’s medical bills will no longer loom over their heads is enough for celebration. There’s hugging and high-fiving but mostly hugging and Christen can’t help but embrace her girlfriend and connect her lips to Tobin’s. Tobin is still in shock herself so it takes a second for her brain to process the kiss, but she’s quick to come to and start kissing back with passion and relief and happiness and an overwhelming sense of freedom. 

In the tiny space between their faces when their lips detach but they stay in their little paradisaical bubble among the celebratory chaos of their friends around them, Tobin whispers to her girlfriend, “I love you.”

And that easily opens the floodgates of tears to flow freely and soon everyone is hugging and crying and thanking God and bathing in this atmosphere of welcomed shock and happiness. 

They obviously take the celebration to the diner, immediately telling Diane about the fantastic news and even though she has basically zero participation with the entire ordeal, she smiles warmly and simply insists that their orders are on the house for the rambunctious group. 

Being about brunch time, they order a large spread consisting of pancakes and quiches and mimosas and french toast and basically everything Kelley’s eyes land on. Diane had asked Kelley to call at least fifteen minutes before coming in to make sure they had enough food prepared, but with an apology for this unexpected arrival, Diane of course smiled while writing up their orders. 

The entire morning feels noticeably lighter. Like they can finally sit together and eat together and talk and laugh together without the underlying knowledge that they’re all still fighting these medical bills. And everyone can visibly see how Tobin’s entire aura seems to just  _ glow _ . 

And Tobin can certainly feel this new type of  _ glow _ .

~~~

Everyone else is milling around the shop when Christen plops herself in the staff room beside Kelley, who’s comfortably chugging her fifth bottle of Mountain Dew. 

“You know, if that’s like your third of the day, you’ve probably had well over the recommended allowance of sugar. Your teeth are gonna rot out of your skull” Christen states, not so unintentionally giving a hardcore judgmental expression. 

Kelley finishes the bottle and promptly slams the plastic onto the table as some sort of competitive victory. “Fifth.” she corrects before giving an extra carbonated belch. “And maybe if I didn’t have teeth, it’d be even easier to guzzle these things down.”

Christen laughs a little nervously - really hoping her friend’s joking about that. A comfortable silence falls between the two but after Kelley free throws her empty soda bottle into the trash can, she says, “So, pretty great about Tobs’ med bills, huh?

A wide smile makes its way onto Christen’s face and she can’t help but gleam back as her heart fills with the same amount of love as when the group had first found out hours ago. “Yeah, it’s pretty incredible. I mean, you told me that the race raised a lot, but I definitely wasn’t expecting it to cover her expenses in total.”

Kelley gives a concerning smirk in response as she leans in closer to the space between them and Christen can immediately tell that more radical news is about to come her way. “So even with the med bills and the expenses we gotta put down for the whole event, there’s still a pretty hefty sum of money left. Like, it’s actually kinda incredible how much was raised with the entry fees and additional donations.”

“Yeah?” Christen hesitantly replies. “What’re you gonna do with it all?”

“Well I already portioned the remaining hunk of money out for the store. Ya’know, with the store’s expenses and some reserve for future races and investments.” Kelley explains, the volume of her voice getting quieter and her tone getting lower. “But I portioned out a little bit extra…”

“Kel…” Christen interrupts in a low warning tone. “You  _ know _ that you have to tell Tobin about everything and let her decide where the money should go. Even though you handle the money part of the store, you still have to tell her about where it all goes in  _ her _ store.”

Kelley opens her mouth but Christen quickly cuts off whatever proposition is about to be said.

“The last time we went behind Tobin’s back about something that was obviously knowledge she should’ve known, we spent the entire afternoon trying to hunt her down throughout the city. It caused a lot of unnecessary pain that could've been easily avoided if we just told her everything she deserves to know.” Christen firmly states.

Solemnly, Kelley nods - the reminder of that incident still stinging her heart. But she powers through with her idea. “I know, Chris. But this is different.”

Christen huffs and promptly stands to leave, not wanting to be subject to any kind of maniacal persuasion, but Kelley catches her wrist to stop her. “No, I’m serious. It’s different because I wanna get her a gift.”

With her interest somewhat piqued, Christen slowly sits back down but keeps a stoic expression. “And why do you wanna use the event money?”

“Well, not all of it, just a little bit. It’d be mostly out of pocket, I wanna get Ash and Son and hopefully you in on this too. But even with all of us combined, it’s still a little expensive. I already rationed everything out for the store necessities, but I just wanna use a little to make sure it's perfect.” Kelley explains, her voice hushed so that no one else outside the room could possibly hear about her plans. 

Christen doesn’t like keeping things from people, especially Tobin. But if the secret is for a surprise gift, she starts considering it. 

_ It is different, I guess… It’s not like I’m keeping a huge secret from her, it’s just like a little surprise present… _ Christen reasons inside her head.

She chews her bottom lip, really thinking about if she wants to hop onto Kelley’s (most likely) ridiculous plans. After a few minutes of thought, Christen nods and finally questions, “Okay. What’s the gift idea?”

~~~

The first thing Christen feels as her mind flickers into consciousness are the feather-light imprints of lips over her stomach. It’s a strange sensation - the cool air of the ventilated bedroom in contrast to the warm lips moving across her skin. But it’s a welcomed feeling. 

Christen can only smile, eyes still closed with the remnants of sleep as she tangles her fingers in the head of hair that she knows is the cause of this sensation - the cause of most welcomed sensations in her life. When she feels a heavier weight lean against her stomach Christen finally peels her eyes to see Tobin’s adorably gazing up with her face resting on the bare surface of skin. 

“ ‘Mornin, love.” Tobin mumbles against her stomach. She leaves one last, gentle kiss above the woman’s navel before crawling up to peck her lips. 

Christen giggles as she responds happily, “Good morning…”

After a few more short kisses are exchanged, Tobin leans back and they look softly upon each other. 

“Feelin good?” Christen asks, gently brushing some baby hairs out of Tobin’s face. 

“Yeah. No nightmares.” she remarks with a cute, little nod, ending her words with another kiss. Sleep-filled nights without Tobin’s curse of a nightmare are obviously greatly welcomed and because of it, she’s usually able to sleep at least six full hours without any other disturbance. 

Christen smiles warmly in response. This is the third consecutive night where Tobin hasn’t shot out of bed with a dangerously fast heartbeat and a fear-caused pool of sweat. And mornings like these always lead to a very productive and fun day.

“Feel good enough for some yoga?” Christen proposes with a quirked eyebrow and a persuasive grin.

Tobin laughs as she responds with another little head nod before rolling off of the woman and heading towards where they store their yoga mats. 

After a very successful yoga session, the two go about their normal routine of coffee, breakfast, and snuggling on the couch with a soccer game running on the tv. This morning though, like most mornings without the occurrence of Tobin’s nightmare, feels incredibly lighter and upbeat. Maybe it’s the improved cognitive abilities of actually sleeping the night before or maybe it's still the knowledge that Tobin’s hospital bills are no longer a source of anxiety. But whatever it is, it’s got them in a wonderfully blissful and carefree mood.

The ringing of Christen’s phone disrupts the morning atmosphere and while she’d normally let it go to voicemail, she has a delighted suspicion as to who’s on the other end of the line. 

Christen reaches for her phone and her thoughts are correct when Kelley’s face shines on her phone screen. “Be right back babe. I gotta take this.” she says almost a little too hurriedly, but Tobin doesn’t seem to notice her rushed tone as she simply smiles understandingly. 

The yoga instructor scurries into the bedroom where she knows Tobin won’t overhear the conversation. She looks down the hall to make sure her girlfriend is still lounging on the couch before she closes the door and answers the call. 

“Did you buy it?” she quickly asks, typically greetings be damned. 

_ “Well good morning to you too.”  _ Kelley snarks back and Christen can practically see the sassy grin on her freckled friend’s face. 

“Yeah, yeah, good morning. Now did you buy it?” Christen asks again, not wanting to beat around the bush with polite pleasantries. 

Kelley laughs and finally answers, “ _ Yes, Chris. I ordered it and the guy said he’d drop off the parts later today. Luckily the seller is local or else we’d have to wait a millions years for parts to ship from China or something. _ ”

“That’s great.” Christen breathes out in relief. She’d been waiting for Kelley to finalize the order details and she’s definitely comforted in knowing that it’s all moving along. “So is it coming to you or to the shop?”

“ _ The shop. It’s a little more risky cause Tobs might be there to open it, but it should be addressed to me and I’m gonna need some of the tools from the shop to assemble it. _ ” Kelley responds. 

Christen squeals - actually  _ squeals _ \- with excitement. “Ooo, this is so amazing! When you first told me about this gift idea, I’ll admit, I didn’t think it’d be the best use of the store’s money. And I really don’t like being all sneaky, but I think this is gonna be really cool for Tobin. She hasn’t had a nightmare in a while and I think this gift is really gonna be the cherry on top!”

“ _ I think so too! _ ” Kelley remarks with a wide smile. “ _ I just can’t wait for it to get here! _ ”

~~~

Tobin turns her head to look down the hall, seeing the bedroom door is still closed. She almost wants to go in there and see why this mysterious call is taking so long, but she quickly reasons herself out of it. 

It’s been building up - this suspicious behavior she’s noticed from Christen, and really everyone in the shop, for the last few days. They might not think she notices, but Tobin definitely notices when they’re all working on Sundays and Christen decides to talk with Kelley about something in the staff room instead of hanging out with Eddy next to her workbench. She notices when she walks in on Christen, Ashlyn, and Emily in the middle of their hushed conversation and the group quickly stops talking or not so smoothly changes the subject all of a sudden. It’s only been a few days, but Tobin notices the whispers around her and she notices how many phone calls Christen’s been getting (and she suspects they're not all from the yoga studio).

She really doesn’t know what to think and part of her reasons that it’s all in her head - that her weirdly wired brain is just creating these paranoid thoughts out of nothing. But it doesn’t change how her eyebrows seem to be permanently furrowed on her face when she notices these things. 

As she hears the knob on the bedroom door turning, Tobin quickly leans back to her initial position against the couch, jerking her head forward to act like she’s totally been enraptured by soccer this whole time. 

Christen plops her body back next to Tobin’s side and immediately goes back to their cuddled position.

“What’d Kel want?” Tobin asks in the most casual tone she can muster. 

“Ummm…” Christen starts as she tries to come up with a quick excuse on the fly - a skill she happens to be very bad at. She didn’t think Tobin saw who was calling, so she’s especially blindsided by the otherwise simple question. 

_ Simple questions should have simple answers _ Christen tells herself.

“We were just gonna make plans to get brunch or something.” Christen lies, her face getting noticeably flushed but she tries to contain a casual composure. 

“Hmmm…” Tobin hums in response because she doesn’t know why Christen would have to leave the room just to make plans with her friend. Christen thinks for a second that she’s just outed herself with such a shitty lie, but Tobin seems to let it go as she adds, “You should take her to that trendy-looking place around the block from the store. I just walked by it recently and it looks cute. Good lookin omelettes.”

Christen wants to let out a heavy breath of relief but, still in incognito-mode, she lets out her held breath calmly through her nose. “Good idea. Thanks baby.”

The two go back to watching the tv before they have to head to their respective workplaces. 

But at this point, the blissful, energetic energy they had running before is dimmed and they’re way too hyper-aware of each other to really watch the screen attentively.

~~~

“Mornin Tobs!” Kelley smiles as she watches her friend walk into the shop. She’s already pretty pumped this morning about her phone call with Christen and the gift unveiling that’s going to happen today. She had volunteered to come in early and open up under the guise that she wanted to get a head start on some repairs when, in reality, she used the extra time to assemble Tobin’s gift. 

The mechanic responds with a monotone “Hey.” before walking straight to the staff room.

A confused look appears on Kelley’s face in seeing Tobin so uncharacteristically cold but she tries to brush it off. When she also realizes that the usual pink donut box was not in her friend’s hand, she questions loud enough for Tobin to hear, “Not feelin the donuts this morning?” 

She doesn’t get an immediate answer and she almost wonders if Tobin had even heard her, but then the mechanic re-emerges from the staff room with her beige work apron, gloves, and a prominent sullen expression. “No.” Tobin bites out before grabbing a scraped up frame from their pile of repairs. 

Kelley's concern grows as Tobin refuses to look up and acknowledge her. It’s not even about not getting a donut, even though she enjoys the ritualistic supply of donuts every morning. She’s much more worried about what the lack of donuts and the solemn demeanor and the hostile one word answers mean. 

“You alright Tobs?” Kelley asks as she slowly approaches the mechanic, not expecting this level of aggression so early in the morning. She knows she needs to approach this situation carefully but she’s also never been one to really dance around an issue. “Christen said you haven’t been having nightmares as of late. So that’s really good, right?” she continues, trying to spur up any good news that would need more than one word to answer. 

But she immediately regrets her words when Tobin’s head snaps up, finally granting her the eye contact she wanted but now, Kelley’s not sure it’s a good thing with the evident fire in her friend’s hazel eyes. “Oh, so Chris told you about that, huh? The nightmares?” she bites out with hostility in every word, her eyes burning a hole into Kelley’s head.

“Whoa, whoa there, Tobs.” Kelley says calmly, her hands up in surrender as she tries to calm her friend.  _ Fuck, fuck, fuck, fix this Kelley… _

“Is this what those phone calls are all about? You two talk about all my issues and problems behind my back?” Tobin asks, standing from her stool with her chest now visibly heaving and anger boiling beneath her skin. 

Kelley doesn’t know how to alleviate this situation at all. She doesn’t know why Tobin has become so angry so quickly, but she knows that she needs to calm the situation down. “Tobin. No. Christen and I… we-”

“So you guys talk about my nightmares. Do you also talk about my fucked up hand?” the seething woman questions with a venomous tone. “Maybe how I can’t fucking draw a single, straight line a-anymore?” And it's the reappearance of her stutter - the one that she’s been able to keep hidden for so long - that seems to snap her out of her rage-filled state. 

It’s also at this exact moment when Ashlyn comes into the shop and immediately freezes the second she enters. The blond can physically feel the tension between the two women. Tobin and Kelley’s heads look over at the appearance of their friend. 

“I-...” Tobin begins to yell again, but quickly looks down at her feet, away from the two pairs of eyes she can’t seem to handle right now. “I’m going outside.” she declares. When she looks back up at her two best friends, the only thing she sees is understanding in their faces and it makes her soften a bit. “I’m not going on a walk. I just need a breather, so I’m gonna hang out back for a bit.” 

“Yeah… yeah. Okay.” Kelley mumbles as Ashlyn shifts her body sideways so that Tobin can walk through the shop door. 

Eddy pops his head up, probably wondering if he’s getting a walk, but rests back down when Tobin gently informs him, “Just goin outside buddy. I’ll be right back.” before exiting.

Ashlyn turns and sees Kelley with her eyes closed as she slowly rubs circles on her temples. “Dude, it’s not even ten and she’s already taking a break? What the fuck did you do?” Ashlyn asks.

Kelley sighs before opening her eyes and beginning to explain what just unexpectedly happened. 

This is definitely not how she expected this morning to go.

~~~

Tobin’s standing outside with her back leaned against the colorfully painted back wall of the shop while she stares down at the patterns her foot is tracing against the black, cracked concrete. True to her word, she’s not leaving the store’s proximity but she sure as hell is calming down in the furthest area away from the shop and her friends and the setting of her outburst. 

It’s only when she spots a familiar car pull into the lot that she kicks her body off of the wall with a confused look on her face. 

“What’s goin on, babe?” she asks as Christen spots her walking closer. 

Without a worded answer, the yoga instructor simply walks around the back of the car and meets her girlfriend halfway with a fierce, passionate kiss - something very unexpected considering they’re in public in the back parking lot of a bike store. 

When she pulls away, Tobin’s eyes are still closed and the only thing she can squeak out is a breathless, “Whoa”.

Christen giggles, offering a much quicker peck in hopes of drawing Tobin out of her daze before ignoring the initial question and finally responding, “Hi”.

“Hi… um… what are you doing here? It’s not lunch break yet.” Tobin asks again when she’s able to formulate some more words. 

“Kel called and-”

“Uggh…” Tobin groans, interrupting her girlfriend and shifting the mood completely. “What? Did she need backup or something?” Her head falls forward as she looks to the ground, pressure building behind her eyes from… anger? Maybe guilt? She isn’t quite sure.

Christen responds in turn with two gentle fingers lifting her girlfriend’s downcast head back up, wanting to look into those warm eyes she keeps falling in love with every damn day. Even with the two face to face, Tobin seems to make it her mission to avoid any and all eye contact as she finds particular interest in the dying tree near the sidewalk. “Hey.” Christen says, trying to get Tobin’s attention back to her. 

After a reluctant couple of seconds have passed, the mechanic finally looks into Christen’s awaiting eyes. When Christen knows that her girlfriend is ready to listen, she continues calmly, “Kelley called because we have a little surprise for you and I obviously want to be here for it.” 

“What?” Tobin responds and whatever she was feeling moments ago is immediately washed away. “A… a surprise?”

Christen smiles, biting her bottom lip to contain how absolutely ecstatic she is and she gives a confirming nod. She grabs Tobin’s hand with a wink before proceeding to lead her girlfriend back towards the shop. Tobin wordlessly follows - she’d always follow wherever Christen led her - but she’s too confused to really do anything else. 

When the two enter the shop, everyone is waiting with wide, slightly nervous grins. All eyes are on the mechanic. No one brings up Tobin’s previous outburst - the group has become very good at not taking anything too personally unless it affects Tobin’s physical or emotional well being. Instead, Kelley just hands her friend a square box wrapped perfectly (by Christen of course) in orange paper with little cartoon bikes all around it. 

Tobin can only look at the gift, confusion still clouding her mind, before she begins to slowly tear through the thin wrapping paper. Once the orange paper is removed and discarded, the mechanic is met with a brown, packaging box - tape thrown messily (by Kelley of course) across the edges to keep the top closed. When Tobin looks up with a curious gaze, a questioning look of how her friends want her to proceed, all she sees is the same encouraging expressions of her friends as they surround her and watch this quiet ceremonial event taking place. It feels strangely symbolic - not like any Christmas or birthday - and it makes Tobin grow more curious and anxious about the unknown contents of this box.

Tobin easily breaks the tape barriers and when she opens the box, she’s met with a thick bed of muted colored packing peanuts. She carefully sticks her hand into the mysterious pile of plastic pieces until her hand brushes up against some mesh material of some sort. It feels light and minimal, but she feels a noticeable piece of machinery attached as well. She slowly pulls the item out of the interfering packing peanuts to finally see whatever this gift is. 

While it looks to be a jumble of black fabric and stretchy straps and some plastic-encased technology, Tobin has a sneaking suspicion as to what this may be. Her thoughts are pleasantly confirmed as Kelley states, “It’s a stabilizer for your hand. So you can hopefully work a bit easier.”

Tobin looks up at her friends, tears she’s been holding in now freely falling from her eyes. She wants to immediately thank and also apologize to every single person in the room, but her brain can’t form any words and she’s left looking at her smiling friends completely speechless. She doesn't feel like she deserves it, especially after blowing up minutes ago, but the way everyone's looking at her so warmly makes those feelings fall away with her joyous tears.

Christen makes her way towards her girlfriend and silently takes the gift before fitting it comfortably onto Tobin’s left hand. The mechanic opens and closes her hand, getting a feel for how the material fits onto her skin and wraps around the curves of her hand snugly. Tobin looks up at Christen’s soft facial features through her glossy eyes and the yoga instructor brushes a few stray tears away that have spilled with the pad of their thumb. 

“This is to help with work, but we hope that it’ll also help you move forward. To move on from everything that’s happened.” Christen simply comments, her voice delicately quiet. 

Tobin can only smile wholeheartedly, still speechless as she looks back down at her hand that’s now encased by this brace of sorts and she can already  _ feel _ everything going up from here. She can  _ feel  _ how game-changing this piece of equipment is for her productivity, but more importantly, she can physically  _ feel _ the love that accompanies the silence in the room as her friends continue to gaze lovingly at her. 

"Think fast!" Kelley warns before immediately lobbing a paint brush at her face. Luckily Tobin catches it, but she can't even think to argue about things being thrown at her because she's too damn excited to see how this stabilizer works. She doesn't want to get her hopes up too high - this can't possibly be a simple end all to her problems, but she can't suppress the glimmer of hope that somehow this funky looking piece of technology will make life and work just  _ that _ much easier for her.

Tobin looks down at the paintbrush that's gripped in her brace-covered hand. She hesitates for a brief second when she located the power button as she can almost physically feel the eyes of four other people looking hopefully at her. But after a breath of confidence, the mechanic presses down on the button and suddenly the entire glove powers on. 

It's a strange feeling, having this machine on her. There's a low but evident whirling or buzzing from within the plastic but it's not too overpowering and it actually feels pleasant - like a massage. It’s practically unnoticeable from the human eye, but she can feel it working against her wrist and her hand. There’s no Ironman boost of power from the brace, but as it encases her hand, Tobin can feel a sort of ease to her movement. 

The effect is immediate and clear when she dips the tip of the brush into some black paint and scooches a stool closer to the happy face frame she'd previously taken a break from. To say that Tobin's scared as she slowly brings her brace covered hand closer to the frame, would be an understatement. The tip of the brush is less than a couple centimetres away from the metal before she finally makes contact and-

_ Wow _ .

The oh so smooth line isn’t even completed before she puts down the brush and the stream of relief-filled tears flow from her eyes - completely uncontrollable and completely unashamed. Before she knows it, she’s wrapped up in the warmth of four of the closest people in her life - people she considers family. And no words need to be spoken. No words can really do the moment justice as the group of friends, or more like a group of family, all stay embraced in the back of this bike shop on some random morning. 

And all Tobin can really do is sit in gratitude, surrounded by love. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this entire fic is motivated by YOU. if u read my note from before, then uve heard my whole thing about how much i love yall and how ur support has means the world to me. But im gonna repeat myself because its so true and i dont know how many ways i can truly express it. The fact that anyone read, let alone commented on, this story still blows my mind. Its been an honor writing it and once again, thank you. Love to you all <3


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